Court grants 3-day physical remand for accused in cousin’s gruesome murder

Rawalpindi: An Area Magistrate in Rawalpindi has remanded a suspect into police custody for three days in connection with the gruesome murder of his cousin, Mohsin Ashraf. The accused, Mehr Ali, allegedly killed and mutilated the victim’s body to steal a substantial amount of money. The court has directed police to produce the accused again today (Monday).

The case involves the kidnapping and murder of Mohsin Ashraf, a prize bond dealer, who went missing nine days ago with Rs. 4.5 million in cash. The police arrested Mehr Ali, the victim’s cousin, after a thorough investigation that combined modern technology and human intelligence.

During interrogation, the accused reportedly confessed to luring his cousin to his home in Samar Zar Colony on Adiala Road, where he killed him with a knife. Mehr Ali allegedly burned the body in a karahi (wok) to destroy evidence and disposed of the victim’s mobile phone to evade detection.

Sources close to the investigation revealed that the suspect, who worked melting animal fats, had started lending large sums of money in recent days despite previously operating on credit. This change in behaviour raised suspicions.

Police recovered Rs2 million in cash from the suspect’s residence, along with the victim’s specially designed vest, often used by businesspeople to carry money. The vest, hidden under a stone, and additional evidence, including Rs0.5 million from the suspect’s house and Rs0.2 million distributed among customers, have been seized.

The victim’s father, Sheikh Ashraf, a resident of Lalazar, had filed a report with the police on December 27 after his son failed to return home. The family initially began searching for Mohsin Ashraf when they received a call from a contact, Saqib Rehman, inquiring about Rs4.5 million transaction.

City Police Officer (CPO) Khalid Hamdani tasked Rawal SP Muhammad Haseeb, DSP City Azhar Shah, and a team led by SHO City Nadeem Altaf to trace the victim. Using phone records and technical expertise, the team narrowed their focus on Mehr Ali, who had been in contact with the deceased before his disappearance.

The investigation revealed that the suspect had experienced an unusual improvement in his financial situation. When questioned, Mehr Ali confessed to the crime, leading the police to recover critical evidence.

The victim’s family, devastated by the brutal murder, has called for swift justice. Mohsin Ashraf was well-known in the community as a trusted prize bond dealer, and his tragic death has shocked residents of Rawalpindi.

The police continue their investigation, collecting forensic evidence to strengthen their case. Authorities are confident that the swift action taken by the police team will lead to justice for the victim and his family.