Man accused of desecration declared mentally ill

A Muslim man, whose alleged act of desecrating the Holy Quran in Hyderabad on August 21 had sparked a violent reaction from Muslims against the Hindu community, has been declared mentally unstable.

A medical board of Sir CJ Institute of Psychiatry in its medical examination report stated that the accused Abdullah Surhio is suffering form 'chronic psychosis'.

The doctors also found comorbidity of substance abuse. "At present he is incapable to understand the proceeding of the honourable court. He needs indoor pshychiatric treatment."

The four-member board was headed by Prof Dr Moin Ahmed Ansari with Dr Jamil Junejo, Dr Kazi Humayun Rashid and Dr Syed Kalbe Hyder as its members.

The suspect was arrested on August 29 after the police investigation found that a sweeper, Ashok Kumar, who was charged with the offence of desecration in the FIR lodged at Cantt police station was innocent.

The incident sparked a violent reaction as thousands of people gathered around the Rabi Centre, the apartment building where a burnt copy of the Holy Book was found.

The mob tried to break inside the building to attack the Hindu family but the police and rangers refrained them from doing so. A week later it emerged that a young man belonging to a Muslim family had actually desecrated the Holy Quran.

.Published in The Express Tribune, October 4^th, 2022.