KARACHI: The body of seven-year-old Sarim, missing for 11 days under mysterious circumstances, was discovered in an underground water tank near his home in North Karachi.
According to police, the water tank was concealed with a carton. Authorities are investigating whether the child fell into the tank accidentally or if foul play was involved.
The body has been shifted to a hospital, and the cause of death will be determined following a postmortem examination, police confirmed.
Sarim’s family had filed a missing person’s report, fearing abduction, when he failed to return home after attending a nearby madrasa on January 7.
Despite an extensive search operation, which included inspecting all 212 flats in the apartment complex and its four water tanks, police were unable to locate him until now. The investigation faced challenges due to a power outage at the time of the incident, rendering the building’s CCTV cameras inoperative.
Authorities explored various leads, including obtaining CCTV footage from nearby areas. The father of the child also received suspicious calls and messages from unknown numbers, with some demanding online money transfers and one requesting the child’s photo. After sending a picture, the number went inactive.
Later, the family received a ransom demand of Rs 5 lakh, leading to the case being handed over to the Anti-Violent Crime Cell (AVCC).
Sarim’s mother made a heartfelt plea, saying, “Whoever has taken my son, please bring him back.” She shared that both her sons attended the madrasa together, but only the elder one returned. The family also highlighted that the apartment complex’s CCTV system was non-functional during the incident due to the power outage.
