Seven suspects held over 7-year-old boy's murder in Karachi

• Sarim was found dead on January 18.
• DNA reports awaited for detained individuals.
• Police investigating child abduction networks.

Seven individuals have been detained on the suspicion of involvement in the murder of seven-year-old boy, Sarim, who was allegedly killed after being raped in the North Karachi area of the port city. 

According to the investigating authorities, the suspects include a cleric from the madrassa attended by Sarim, a plumber, three watchmen and two residents of the victim's apartment complex.

The investigating authorities said that the DNA reports of none of the suspects have been received yet and that further action will be taken after receiving the reports. 

The minor was found dead in his apartment's underground water tank in North Karachi on January 18 after being reported missing on January 7. An autopsy confirmed that Sarim was subjected to sexual abuse before being strangled. 

Police confirm they received an initial report showing that Sarim was subjected to sexual assault, but they are awaiting final forensic findings.

Meanwhile, new developments came to light in the case of two other children, five-year-old Aliyan and six-year-old Ali Raza, who went missing from Karachi’s Garden area on January 14.

Police authorities revealed that a sniffer dog brought in from Hyderabad helped identify a potential location near Lyari’s Kashti Masjid. An eyewitness also reported seeing the missing children in the vicinity of the mosque.

Given the proximity of the Lyari River to the identified site, a clean-up operation was also launched in the river following the eyewitness account. The search efforts are ongoing, with heavy machinery being used to clear additional areas along the river.

The disappearance of Sarim, followed by the two other children going missing from Garden  prompted Karachi police on Friday to constitute a team under the supervision of the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Crime Investigation Agency (CIA), to trace the gangs involved in such incidents.

The Karachi police chief has directed the committee chairman to submit a progress report by February 3, 2025.