Lynching accused remanded

LAHORE
AN Anti-Terrorism Court on Friday granted nine days physical remand of one Arif, the main accused of lynching two Muslims after Youhannabad twin church blasts.
The police produced said accused and pleaded before the court that Arif was one of the main suspects in said case. The police implored the court to grant 14-day physical remand of Arif to interrogate him. However, the court has granted nine days physical remand of Arif, directing police to produce investigation report on the next hearing.
Previously, the court had sent to jail 27 Christians, accused of lynching two Muslims and damaging government property after Youhannabad blasts. The accused are nominated in three different FIRs which were registered after Youhannabad church blasts.
The first FIR was registered at Nishtar Town Police Station in which police had arrested 16 accused persons, including Aslam Masih, Ilyas Masih, Chand Masih, Waris Masih, Faisal Masih, Anmol Masih, Sadaqat Zia Masih, Fayyaz Masih, Sumbal Barkat Masih, Sumbal Dicson, Salamat Masih, Kashif Masih, Zakria Masih, Shehzad Masih, Rafaqat Masih and Rohail Masih. In second FIR, police had arrested six accused persons, including Riaz Masih, Nazeer Masih, Tariq Masih, Irshad Masih, Asif Masih, Ashfaque Masih and in third FIR police had arrested five accused persons, including Tamsoon Masih, Sadaqat Masih, Faisal Masih, Irfan Masih and Saghir Masih.
First two FIRs are related to lynching two persons and the third one is about damaging government property by the mob.
adjourned: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) judge Haroon Latif on Friday adjourned the hearing of Kot Radha Kishan Christian couple burning case by May 25 after recording statement of prosecution witnesses.
The court has recorded statement of a lady doctor who had conducted autopsy of the couple.
Previously, the same court had indicted 106 persons in this case along with three clerics for allegedly inciting people to burn the couple alive for their alleged sacrilegious act.
The court framed charges against kiln owner Yousaf Gujjar, Tajammul Hussain, Arslan, Muhammad Aslam, Allah Rakha, Haris Bashir, Waqas Bashir, Yousaf, Shakeel, Irfan Shakoor, Haji Akram, Akram alias Pappu, Atique and three clerics, including Maulvi Noorul Hassan, Maulvi Arshad Baloch and Maulvi Muhammad Hussain. However, the third cleric namely Maulvi Muhammad Hussain is at large.
As per case details, mob captured Shahzad Masih and Shama on November 4, in the presence of police and other witnesses, including Iqbal Masih, Shahbaz Masih, Nazir Masih and Imran Masih. The police tried to rescue the couple but were beaten and pushed back and their uniforms were also ripped apart by the mob. Then the main suspects Yousaf Gujjar, Haris Bashir and others in the presence of police burnt the couple alive.