Poet and writer Dr Akash Ansari dies in ‘mysterious’ fire incident

Hyderabad: Sindh’s renowned contemporary poet and writer Dr Akash Ansari was found after a fire incident in the Citizen Colony area of Qasimabad, Hyderabad, on Saturday morning.

His body was taken to the Civil Hospital. Meanwhile, friends and relatives of the famous poet called the incident a mystery on social media and demanded an investigation by the Hyderabad police.

After a few hours, Ansari’s body was brought back from Badin and a postmortem was conducted under the supervision of police at the Hyderabad Civil Hospital. SP HQ Masood Iqbal along with the SHO Bhittai Nangar inspected the crime scene.

SP Headquarters Masood Iqbal, while talking to the media after visiting the crime scene, said a forensic team inspected the crime scene and taken samples, and the postmortem had been completed.

He said that apparently the fire incident seems to be the result of a short circuit, and more information will be given after the investigation is completed. A crime scene expert said there was a short circuit on the side of the bed, wires were charred and glass was broken, he added.

According to SP HQ Masood Iqbal, Dr Akash Ansari also used to take sleeping pills and this son’s room was opposite his room. Feeling the heat from the fire, his adopted son Vishal sought help from rescue services and neighbours, and later Ansari’s body taken out of the room by rescuers, he said.

SP Masood Iqbal said Ansari had filed an FIR against his son for theft from his house in 2024. However, he said, nothing definitive can be said, and the police will investigate every aspect of the incident.

The SSP Hyderabad formed a five-member investigation committee, which is headed by SP Headquarters Masood Iqbal, and includes the DSP Baldia and SHO Bhittai Nangar Asghar Tunio, Inspector Tahir Khanzada and the SHO Baldia.

The preliminary investigation showed Ansari was staying with his son Vishal in a rented house in Citizen Colony. A report said there were marks of torture on Dr Ansari’s body and the shirt he was wearing smelt of kerosene. His son also suffered burns.