Kot Radha Kishan tragedy: 59 indicted for burning Shama, Shahzad

Ten others were sent on judicial remand after the police failed to file challans against them


Rana Yasif December 24, 2014

LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court on Wednesday indicted 59 people for burning to death the Christian couple accused of blasphemy in Kot Radha Kishan on November 4.

ATC Judge Haroon Latif, while hearing the case on Wednesday, sent ten others on judicial remand since the police had failed to produce challans against them.

Shama, 24, and Shahzad, 28, worked at a brick-kiln in Kot Radha Kishan. On November 4, Shama was accused of desecrating the Holy Quran. A mob gathered outside their house. But they escaped to the kiln and sought refuge in the offices there. However, the mob dragged them out and beat them before pushing them into the kiln.

On Wednesday, Kot Radha Kishan police produced the accused, including the brick-kiln owner Yousaf Gujjar, Tajammul Hussain, Arsalan, Muhammad Aslam, Allah Rakha, Haris Bashir, Waqas Bashir, Attique and others before the court. Though they pleaded not guilty to the charges leveled against them, they were nevertheless, indicted.

The court, after distributing copies of the case record among the accused, adjourned hearings till January 2, 2015. It also summoned prosecution witnesses for the next hearing.

Earlier, the police had submitted an interim challan before the court, which said that post-mortem reports confirmed that the Christian couple had been burnt alive.

It further said the police had initially arrested 59 suspects, and 10 more were arrested by Wednesday.

Police had accused 138 people for burning the couple. However, 69 suspects are still at large.

Officials sought arrest warrants for these suspects, which were subsequently granted.

Police had registered a case against the suspects under Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) sections, including 302, 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy house, etc.), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen offender), 148 (Rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of offence committed in prosecution of common object), 186, and ATA-7.

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