Police deny custody of actress Humaira Asghar's body to brother-in-law

The police have refused to hand over the body of actress and model Humaira Asghar Ali, found dead in a residential apartment in Karachi’s Defence Phase 6, to her brother-in-law, citing legal requirements.

According to reports, a man claiming to be Humaira’s brother-in-law approached the Gizri Police Station, informing them of his relationship to the deceased and requesting custody of the body.

However, police officials stated that the body can only be released to a blood relative in accordance with legal procedure.

The man was summoned to the police station and instructed to return with a direct family member to proceed further with the handover.

Read: New details suggest Humaira Asghar may have died in October 2024

Meanwhile, investigations into the case have revealed that the actress’s body may have been lying in the apartment for over six months.

Police officials noted that items found in her refrigerator had expired months ago.

SSP South Mahzoor Ali confirmed that the last activity from Humaira’s phone was in September 2024, traced to a ride-hailing service driver.

He also stated that the last known contact between her and the owner of the flat was sometime in 2024. Authorities noted that electricity to her home had also been cut off for quite some time.

Karachi Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed, who conducted the post-mortem, said the body was in a “very advanced stage of decomposition.”

According to reports, two senior police officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed that Humaira likely died in October 2024, possibly while attempting to pay her electricity bill. That same month, the power supply to her flat was reportedly disconnected.