Arguments sought in lynching case

LAHORE
A division bench of the Lahore High Court Monday adjourned for March 12 for further arguments the hearing of bail applications of six accused of killing a Christian couple in Kot Radha Kishan.
Accused namely Harish Bashir, Waqas Bashir, Arsalan Latif, Usman Latif, Muhammad Hanif and another had filed the bail application as an anti-terrorism court had turned down their bail request.
Shehzad Masih and his wife Shama Bibi, kiln workers from Chak-59 of Kot Radha Kishan were brutally killed on November 4, 2014 by a mob of over 400 people for allegedly desecrating the Holy Quran. Police had submitted challan of over 50 people in Anti-Terrorism Court. A total 69 nominated accused were arrested in the case, out of which 11 had filed bail applications, which were dismissed by trial court. Another 12 accused filed bail applications before the trial court which are still pending.
Applicants’ counsel submitted that police had implicated them in the case on instigation of their opponents in the area. They said they had nothing to do with the lynching of couple, as they were not present there when the incident took place. He submitted that since their arrest the applicants were in jail and the police had not even recorded their statements, which showed that due to political pressure they were implicated in the case. Counsel on behalf of the minor children of deceased couple had also submitted that the police nominated in the FIR those who were involved in burning Shama and Shehzad. He had said they killed a couple in barbarian way and did not deserve any concession of bail.