Sarim murder: No headway in investigation, police struggle to find leads

KARACHI: Investigations into the murder of seven-year-old Sarim, who was found dead in a water tank 11 days after he went missing from North Karachi, have hit a snag, with authorities citing difficulties in matching DNA samples as the primary reason for the killer’s elusive capture.

According to investigators, the victim’s body was found in a state of decomposition, which compromised the DNA evidence collected from the scene. The degraded DNA has hindered the matching process, making it challenging for investigators to identify the perpetrator.

Law enforcement officials are considering consulting specialised experts to enhance the DNA evidence. Meanwhile, they are also pursuing other technical leads and human intelligence to crack the case.

According to police, the investigation team is working tirelessly to ensure justice for the young victim and his family. However, the lack of conclusive DNA evidence has significantly slowed down the progress of the case.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Karachi Central on Monday visited the family of Sarim and assured them of the provision of justice in the case as the police had found important evidence during the investigation of the case.

The culprits will be given exemplary punishment, he added.

It is worth noting here that the post-mortem report reportedly confirmed that Sarim was raped, tortured and murdered after being kidnapped.

As per the medical report, Sarim was strangled to death and his neck was broken while there were also multiple injury marks on the minor boy’s body.

A Karachi police official stated that the child was murdered five days before his body was discovered in the water tank .However, sources said that the special investigation committee found several contrasting facts in the circumstantial evidence and the post-mortem report.

Earlier, the parents of Sarim staged a protest sit-in on the main road of North Karachi, demanding justice for their son’s murder.

Sarim’s body was recovered from an underground water tank and the post-mortem report confirmed that he was subjected to torture and sexual abuse.

The protesters, including Sarim’s parents, demanded the immediate arrest of the killer and urged the authorities to provide them with justice.

They claimed that there has been no progress in the case so far, and the investigation has been transferred back to the Bilal Colony police station.

Sarim’s parents said that they would continue their protest until justice is served. They also alleged that the police asked them for money to facilitate the investigation using tracker dogs.