Minor boy missing for 11 days found dead in water tank

The body of a child who mysteriously disappeared from North Karachi 11 days ago was found on Saturday in an underground water tank near his house within the jurisdiction of the Bilal Colony police.

Police officials said an investigation is under way to determine whether the child accidentally fell into the tank or someone threw him into it.

Seven-year-old Sarim from North Karachi Sector-5 went missing on the afternoon of January 7, 2025 in the Bilal Colony area.

A case of kidnapping was registered two days later on January 9 at the Bilal Colony police station on the complaint of the boy’s father Mohsin Pervez.

Since the child’s disappearance, his family members and police had been trying to find his whereabouts.

The news of Sarim’s disappearance spread like wildfire on social media. Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori also took notice of the incident and met the distressed family.

According to residents of the area, the body was discovered when a smell was noticed in a water tank in the area.

When the union checked the underground water tank, the boy’s body was found there.

Residents of the area said the tank was covered with cardboard and no precautions had been taken.

Police said they had earlier checked the tank, but no evidence of the body was found at that time. According to the residents of the area, the body was found in the tank 11 days after the boy disappeared, but it did not look old.

Upon receiving the information about the body, police called the crime scene unit to the scene and collected evidence.

Officials said nothing could be conclusively said until the post-mortem report of the body came. They added that the report would tell whether the child was killed and an attempt was made to hide the body in the tank or the child accidentally fell into the water tank.

The child was found in the same clothes and shoes in which he had gone missing.

Later, Police Surgeon Dr Sumiaya said injury marks were found on the child's body during the post-mortem. Necessary samples had been obtained during the post-mortem, she added.

Upon receiving the news of the child's death, the parents could not control their emotions.

After the post-mortem, the child's body was shifted to the Edhi mortuary.

The child's funeral prayers were offered on the main road near the house after the Isha prayers.

The funeral prayers were led by Karachi Jamaat-e-Islami Emir Munem Zafar. A large number of political and social leaders, relatives and residents of the area attended the funeral prayers.

The boy was buried at the Muhammad Shah Graveyard.

On the afternoon of January 7, the boy went to a madrasa running at a flat, but did not return. According to his seminary teacher, who taught the boy the recitation of the Holy Quran, Sarim left the madrasa after completing his lesson at the usual time.