Dr Osama, who conducted the first post-mortem examination of businessman Mir Raza Ali, has told investigators that Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed was informed about the procedure from the outset and initially raised no objection to his report, ARY News reported on Thursday, citing sources.
The claim introduces another disputed account into the investigation surrounding Ali’s death and the handling of his first medico-legal examination.
According to sources, Dr Osama submitted WhatsApp correspondence to the investigation team which he says demonstrates that he informed Dr Summaiya about the post-mortem on the day it was conducted.
“I informed Dr Summaiya from the day of the post-mortem on the 29th,” Dr Osama was quoted as saying.
Sources said the messages contained details of the examination and included a response from Dr Summaiya indicating that the report was “OK”. Dr Osama further claimed that she subsequently signed one page of the original post-mortem report.
He told investigators that Dr Summaiya changed her position one or two days later and publicly questioned the accuracy of the examination.
In early August, Dr Summaiya had identified what she described as discrepancies between Dr Osama’s medico-legal findings and photographs available from the case. Ali’s body was subsequently exhumed at his family’s request and a second post-mortem examination was conducted.
Appearing before the judicial commission on Monday, Dr Summaiya said she had faced “threats” after questioning the findings of the original post-mortem.
Investigators are now seeking to independently verify Dr Osama’s account. Police have decided to send his mobile phone to the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) for forensic examination of the WhatsApp correspondence.
The differing accounts provided by the two doctors remain part of the ongoing investigation, and the authenticity and significance of the messages cited by Dr Osama are subject to forensic verification.