A local magistrate on Saturday turned down the police’s request for extension in the physical remand of seminary principal Mufti Shahnawaz — accused of sexually assaulting and torturing a 12-year-old girl student at Jamia Tuba Ziaul-Binat situated in the Pirwadhai area — and sent him on judicial remand.
The suspect was brought to the court under heavy security on Thursday.
During the hearing on Saturday, the police sought a two-day extension in the physical remand of the prime suspect.
However, the defence lawyer Talat Mehmood Zaidi argued that his client had already spent 10-day under physical remand and he stayed in police custody for three extra days.
He said that the police could not recover anything from Mufti Shahnawaz, not even a pistol.
He requested the court to send his client on judicial remand instead of physical remand.
After hearing arguments from both sides, area Magistrate Asif Iqbal sent the seminary principal to Adiala jail on two-week judicial remand.
Read Female co-accused in seminary molestation case arrested
Talking to The Express Tribune after the hearing, Mufti Shahnawaz said that he was innocent and the stain could only be washed when he will be acquitted in the case.
Mufti Shahnawaz said that he will not do any deal in the case while expressing his confidence in the judiciary and investigation institutions.
He said that the fake case is a conspiracy against the seminary students aimed to keep them away from religious education.
Earlier, Additional and District Sessions Judge Malik Asif Aijaz had approved the interim bail of the madrasa administrator and his female colleague but the prime suspect was arrested by the police under section 377.
Earlier, talking to The Express Tribune, the accused had claimed that the allegations against him were concocted, baseless and unfounded that aimed to tarnish his image.
He had said that if he was found guilty in the DNA test, he would be ready to be hanged at Liaquat Bagh publicly.
The cleric had also demanded the DNA tests of close cousins of the affected student.
“If the allegation is proved against me, I am ready to accept any sentence and punishment,” the seminary administrator had said.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 12th, 2021.
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