Court orders release of 4 Hindu community members

PESHAWAR: A local court on Wednesday issued the release order of four members of the Hindu community who were arrested for allegedly using insulting remarks against the gurus of Sikh community on social media.

The court of judicial magistrate, Muhammad Latif Shah, allowed the bail applications of four members of Hindu community including Pandit Sheonath Sharma, Suraj Kumar, Ram Prakash and Keol Nath after arguments on their bail application. The FIR was registered at Gulfath Hussain Shaheed (Hashtnagri) Police Station on a complaint by a member of Sikh community Balbir Singh on August 22, this year. The FIR was registered under section 295-A of Pakistan Penal Code dealing with hurting religious feelings of any class by insulting their religious beliefs.

The complainant from the Sikh community had alleged in the case that the suspects had used insulting remarks against 10 of the religious figures of the Sikh community on social media. The counsel for the petitioners argued that in the present case police has no jurisdiction to register the case against members of the Hindu community as the petitioners had allegedly used social media for the commission of the offence.