SWAT: The Saidu Sharif Anti-Terrorism Court on Wednesday sent 35 suspects of the Madyan lynching incident to jail on judicial remand after they pleaded not guilty.
JIT Head and Swat SP Investigations Badshah Hazrat Khan informed that the suspects were produced in the Anti-Terrorism Court at Saidu Sharif after the expiry of their physical remand. During proceedings, the suspects denied the crime of Madyan’s which took place on June 20.
ATC Judge Shaukat Ahmed Khan sent all the accused to jail on judicial remand. The police produced the suspects in the court under strict security arrangements. Later, they were transferred to District Jail Swat.
According to the police, the suspects have made startling revelations regarding the incident during the investigation. The police said that on the basis of these revelations, the police have widened the scope of the investigation into the lynching incident. The police, however, claimed the suspects have refused to accept their crime in front of the court.
“A case of killing a person who allegedly desecrated the Quran has been registered in the Madyan police station and burning of building and vehicles as well,” police officials said.
It is to be recalled that on June 20, a tourist Muhammad Sulaiman, son of Qamar Aziz, resident of Sialkot Punjab, was lynched by a mob after snatching from the police custody following his arrest for the alleged desecration of Quran. The mob members dragged on streets in Madyan and set him ablaze after killing him in the bazaar.
After the incident, the Madyan Police registered a case against the slain Sulaiman under the Blasphemy Act while registered another case against the mob member under the Anti-Terrorism Act, including murder, attempted murder, ambush and entry into the government. As many 49 accused have been nominated in the case, besides 2,500 unknown mob members.
According to the police, the burnt and desecrated pages of the Holy Quran have been recovered from the hotel and made part of the evidence and further investigation is being conducted in this regard.
SP Badshah Hazrat Khan, the head of JIT formed to probe the lynching incident, said that 35 accused have been arrested in this case so far and raids are being conducted to arrest 14 more nominees.
“Efforts are being made to ascertain identities of 2,500 unknown accused and very soon other accused will also be brought to justice”, he expressed his resolve.
He said that the deceased Sulaiman came to Swat about three months ago and has stayed in other places including Fizagat, while he rented a room in Madyan hotel on June 18 and this incident took place on June 20.
He said that this case is being investigated from various angles and soon police will find out the real motive and bring it before the public.
According to the police, the ages of these 35 arrested persons are between 20 and 30 years and the criminal records of eight of them have also come to light.
