Mahar family casts doubt on police claim of suspect’s death

HYDERABAD: The Shikarpur police claimedthat Sher Muhammad Mahar, the prime suspect in the murder of journalist Jan Muhammad Mahar, was killed during a recent operation in the riverine area. However, the journalist’s family has expressed doubts over this assertion. Karamullah Mahar, the victim’s brother, claimed that they were not allowed to see Sheral’s body at the Lakhi Ghulam Shah hospital and raised suspicions that he may have died from a cardiac arrest rather than during a police encounter. Despite the police’s claim that the operation aimed to apprehend the wanted dacoit Nasrullah Jatoi, only Sheral’s body was found, with no clear confirmation on how he died. Mahar, a journalist for a Sindhi news channel, was killed on Queens Road in Sukkur in August 2023. His murder led to the naming of several suspects, including Sheral and his relatives.