SC orders arrest of temple attackers within a week

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Friday ordered immediate identification of the accused involved in the attack on Hindu temple and their arrest within a week.

A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed heard a suo moto case and directed that innocent people arrested in the matter should immediately be released. It also ordered production of the challan of the nominated accused in the trial court with a direction that the trial court should decide the case within four months.

The court directed that money be taken from the nominated accused and should be given to the administration of the temple for its rehabilitation reconstruction and restoration.

The court also took notice of the law and order created in the katchi abadi near the temple and directed the Punjab IG to clear the area from bandits.

The chief justice had taken notice of the incident the other day after MNA Dr Ramesh Kumar, who is also patron-in -chief of the Pakistan Hindu Council, called on the CJP and discussed the temple issue.

The court asked as to whether the SHO, who had arrested an eight-year old Hindu boy, has been removed from his job and arrested.

The Punjab advocate-general informed the court that the SHO has been removed from his job with disciplinary action.

The chief justice, however, said that he should be arrested at the earliest and disciplinary action against him was not sufficient

He observed that admitting the arrest of eight-year-old boy by the said SHO itself tantamount to his confession of crime.

He directed that he should be issued a show cause and should be removed from service.

The Punjab AG told the court that some 95 people have been arrested for attacking the temple while Nadra help is being taken for the identification of the arrested persons.

The chief justice, however, observed that the faces of the accused could be identified from the TV footages.

He said that the Punjab police are not competent to render its professional obligation, adding that despite the lapse of three weeks, it has done nothing.

On a court query, the Additional IG of south Punjab informed the court that both Muslims and Hindus were living together for decades in Bhong and nothing like had happened in the past, alleging the social media exaggerating the issue

He said that at present about 250 personnel of Rangers and other law enforcing agencies have been deputed in that area.

During the hearing the court was informed that the bandits living in the slum area near the temple have made the lives of people miserable and threatening the residents with kidnapping besides targeting the gas compressor plant

The court directed clearing the slum area from the bandits and sought a compliance report from the police and adjourned further hearing for a month.