Rimsha had not left her home the day she was accused: Rehman Malik

Ulema of Islamabad Council are also part of the inquiry as observers, Interior minister informs Senate.

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rehman Malik, citing evidence, revealed on Friday that Rimsha Masih, a 14-year-old Christian girl accused of blasphemy, had not left her home the day she was accused and the ashes from her stove were taken out by her younger brother and sister.

Presenting the progress report in Rimsha Masih case to the Senate, Malik said that the district magistrate, Islamabad, is carrying out the inquiry into the case, while the Ulema of Islamabad Council are also a part of the inquiry as observers.

He further verified the arrest of local cleric Khalid Jadoon on charges of tempering with the evidence to make the case “stronger” against Rimsha. According to the medical board, the age of Rimsha is 14 years but her mental age is around seven to eight years, Malik added.

The police had taken Rimsha into protective custody and had transferred her to a safer place after she was accused on August 16, the minister narrated.

Rimsha was granted bail by an additional sessions judge on Friday. The bail was accepted against two sureties of Rs500,000 each.