Mashal Khan lynching case: ATC grants 4-day remand to relevant cops of Sabir

F.P. Report

MARDAN: Anti-terrorist court in Mardan on Tuesday granted four days remand to relevant police officials of Sabir Mayar, an accused nominated in the FIR in Mashal Khan lynching case.

The accused Sabir Mayar who surrendered himself before Mardan police on Monday after absconding for nearly 11 months was brought to anti-terrorist court amid tight security. The anti-terrorist court judge Muhammad Younas Khan, however, granted four-day remand of the said accused to police officials concerned after completing the legal formalities.

It merits to mention here that Police had lodged FIR against 61 accused persons, including Sabir Mayar, in the murder case of Mashal Khan, a student of journalism and mass communication department of Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, who was lynched by a mob of students and university staff on April 13, 2017, after he was allegedly blamed for committing blasphemy.

The accused Sabir Mayar was declared a proclaimed offender by an anti-terrorism court when he went on hide and avoid facing court before 11 months. According to Police officials, the surrender was made as a result of frequent raids by police personnel on his home and other hideouts.

They said the report of joint investigation team formed to probe Mashal’s murder had suggested that Mayar was among those conspirators who had allegedly planned the student’s murder. They said the number of arrested accused in lynching case had reached 60. Now only one nominated suspect, Asad Katlang, a university employee, remains to be arrested in the murder case.