Main accused in Mashal killing case arrested: DIG

mardan — The district police on Thursday arrested Imran, the main accused who shot dead Mashal Khan at Abdul Wali Khan University over alleged blasphemy, and presented him before the media.

Addressing a Press conference here, DIG Mardan Alam Khan Shinwari said so far 41 accused had been arrested for involvement in the Mashal Khan lynching case after the arrest of Imran.

Shinwari said that Imran was arrested on the basis of information gathered during interrogation of other accused in the case. He said Imran was the classfellow of Mashal Khan, and fired three bullets on Mashal.

The police had taken into custody the pistol and three rounds found from the site of incident and sent them for laboratory tests. When asked what actually led to Mashal’s lynching, he said the university administration was dealing with the matter but had neither informed the police nor the district administration.

a Joint investigation team comprising officials of police, Fia, iSi, Mi and iB would probe the matter Alam Khan Shinwari, DIG Mardan

He said the police reached the university within 15 minutes after the incident and saved two lives including that of a student Abdullah and one teacher and also protected the body of Mashal from being desecrated by the mob.

Responding to a question the DIG said that arrested people included nine employees of Abdul Wali Khan University, adding that a university employee who allegedly incited the mob to murder Mashal Khan over unfounded blasphemy allegations had also been arrested. He said so far police did not find any evidence of blasphemy committed by Mashal Khan, who was a student of journalism at the university.