Rimsha Masih: Prayer leader released on bail in blasphemy case
Hafiz Mohammed Khalid Chishti, the imam of the mosque in Rimsha's area, who first provided police the burned papers as evidence against her, was detained on September 1 for desecrating the Quran himself and tampering with evidence.
"My client has been released and he came out of Adiyala jail today," his lawyer Wajid Ali Gilani told AFP.
Chishti was granted bail on Thursday October 11, 2012, after a surety and a bond of Rs200,000 was submitted at the court in Islamabad, he said.
The cleric was arrested after his deputy Maulvi Zubair and two others told a magistrate Chishti added pages from the Quran to the burnt pages brought to him by a witness, investigators have said.
Zubair and the two others, Mohammad Shahzad and Awais Ahmed, said they had urged Chishti not to interfere with the papers but he told them it was the only way to expel the Christians from the area.
On August 24 Chishti told AFP he thought Rimsha burned the pages deliberately as part of a Christian "conspiracy" to insult Muslims, and said action should have been taken sooner to stop what he called their "anti-Islam activities" in impoverished Mehrabad neighbourhood of Islamabad.
Rimsha had spent as many as three weeks in an adult jail after she was arrested on August 16 for allegedly burning pages from the Quran
She and her family remain in hiding for safety after Rimsha was released on bail last month. Her case was only sent to a juvenile court when a medical report confirmed she was only 14 years of age.
COMMENTS (20)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
1736377795-0/Untitled-design-(58)1736377795-0-165x106.webp "article")
This man is a pathetic excuse for a Muslim.
Why are Muslims not making any noise about this guy is proven that this guy tore pages of Quran is that not blasphemy??? why so much silence??
Just take a closer look at his face. It's the face of evil .
@saeed: I will pick him and hold him responsible for his action.
It's not judicary or system. It is choice of 90percent of Pakitsani society. She is non Muslim and he is hafiz Quran. Ask any Muslim take a pick
no buddy they can'nt match the finger prints becoz mulvi had his prints as well lots of other people also touched it but yes they can look 4 Quran but that would be different scene and I'm totally against wht they did, girl is innoccent even if she was adult they should let her go.. I'm muslim and i never read in Quran that kill or punish who do'nt agree with ur religion, its against Islam preaching.. Isalm only teach one thing Peace means no harm to anyone.. This Mulvi is big Jerk.. @Saim:
@Saim: With the condition they're in and all the people who have probably touched it not to mention he can claim he touched it to check through it before accusing her... Probably not.
@gp65: Judge should have set bail for 50 Lakh.
Can't they match the pages which he allegedly tore with the actual Koran and observe fingerprints ?
Anyone surprised? And you wonder why Pakistan is ranked lower than N Korea by most of the World?
That was expected all the way It was just a bit late He must be having a heros welcomeWHAT?! But, um, didnt he commit blasphemy by desecrating the Quran himself? Shouldnt he be lynched or set on fire? Or handed over to the so called GHAZI Mumtaz Qadri to be taken care off? What is with the sanctity attached to the beard?! What if he were a non muslim?
Now, time to look for some other alleged "blasphemist." I believe they already had got one 16-year-old boy........
CJ and his team is involved against jihad against jehaadees . I K is intending to give them all a political umbrella . Let the man in uniform deal with them .
Okay buddy.. Now, you are free to frame search for another scapegoat in the meantime.. Go ahead...
A bond of 2 lakhs for a prayer leader accused of deliberately burning pages from the Quran to falsely implicate a young girl. A surety of 10 lakh for a 14 year old girl with Down syndrome accused of having burnt Noorani Qaida.
What's wrong with this picture?
When is Qadri coming out on bail, as his case is not making any progress and he is not going to be hanged? The innocent young girls are treated more harshly by these courts than the fanatic extremists even if they are caught red handed.
Hello 30 year civil war..
Rimsha, who was arrested in a poor suburb of Islamabad on August 16 and accused of burning pages from the Quran, was released on two surety bonds of 500,000 rupees ($5,200). So much for gender and race equality?