Prayer leader, six others sent to jail on judicial remand in Sindh

The suspects were part of a group that attacked police officials in Liaquatabad on Friday

KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court sent on Saturday prayer leader Raheem Dad and six other suspects to jail on judicial remand. The suspects had allegedly attacked police officials outside Ghousia Mosque in Liaquatabad on Friday, when the police tried to enforce the ban on congregational prayers.

The police presented suspects Dad, Kamran Jalal, Salman, Sohail Khan, Najam Asghar, Iqbal and Syed Bilal Haider before the court.

The Investigation Officer (IO) maintained that the Ghousia Mosque committee members had allowed a large number of worshippers into the mosque, which put the lives of area residents at risk by increasing the possibility of the spread of COVID-19.

He added that the committee members had allegedly incited the public to attack the police with sticks, rods and stones, as a result of which three officials were injured and state property was damaged.

The IO informed the court that seven individuals suspected to be involved in the attack had been arrested and sought their physical remand, maintaining that the remaining suspects were being traced.

The court sent the suspects to jail on judicial remand while ordering the IO to submit a challan against them by April 14.

Out on bail

Meanwhile, a local court released another prayer leader and others, arrested for violating the ban on congregational prayers, on bail.

Prayer leader Abdul Habib of Bilal Mosque in New Karachi, Muhammad Hanif, Abdul Rauf, Mufti Umar Farooq and others were presented before the court, which released them against a surety of Rs5,000 each. It also directed them to adopt precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

According to the police, a case had been registered against the prayer leader and mosque administration for violating the ban imposed by the government. 

Published in The Express Tribune, April 5^th, 2020.