A polygraph test has “cleared and exonerated” Mufti Shahnawaz — a seminary principal accused of sexually assaulting and torturing a 14-yearold girl student at Jamia Tuba Ziaul-Binat in the Pirwadhai area — and co-accused female teacher of the offence.
The investigation team submitted the polygraph report to the District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Afzal and has ‘declared’ Mufti Shahnawaz and female teacher, Ishrat, innocent.
During the hearing, the investigation team submitted the report which said the polygraph examination of both the accused has tested negative. The team said both the accused were not guilty of the offence in view of the prosecution.
The team has also excluded the names of Mufti Shahnawaz and Ishrat from the column of offence. The court inquired about the investigation against the accused on charges of hurling death threats to the complainant.
Read Seminary head files bail plea in assault case
To this, the investigation team told the court that those charges could not be proved either. The defence lawyer said that the report has proved the innocence of his client and there was no point in keeping him in detention any further. He pleaded to the court to approve the bail plea of Mufti Shahnawaz.
The court had summoned the student and her lawyer. However, a junior lawyer told the court that the senior counsel was engaged somewhere else. He sought adjournment of the hearing so that the counsel could be ready to prepare arguments in the light of the polygraph test report.
The court approved the request and adjourned the hearing until October 16. The victim and her mother, who had turned up for hearing, left the courtroom without uttering anything. Mufti Shahnawaz is imprisoned in the Adiala Jail for the last 58 days while the female suspect, Ishrat is on bail.
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