LAHORE, May 25: A policeman allegedly attempted to kill an under-trial blasphemy accused in the Gulab Devi Hospital on late Monday night. Advocate Pervaiz Chaudhry told Dawn that a labourer, Samuel Masih, a resident of Basti Saidan Shah, had been accused of committing blasphemy in August 2003.

He said the accused was caught by Bagh-i-Jinnah mosque prayer leader Chaudhry Yaqoob when he was blemishing Quranic verses written on a wall. Yaqoob and dozens of people, including visitors, had tortured Samuel at that time.

A blasphemy case was registered against the accused at the Civil Lines police and he was sent to the Kot Lakhpat jail. Mr Chaudhry said the accused fell ill in the prison and doctors diagnosed him with TB. He was shifted to the Gulab Devi Hospital. A policeman, Faryad Ali, was also deputed there.

The hospital staff told the police that they heard screams of the patient and found him injured. He was bleeding profusely from the head and the constable was standing nearby carrying a hammer in his hand, they said.

The staff caught the policeman and immediately shifted Samuel to the Lahore General Hospital where his condition was stated to be critical. A case was registered against Faryad Ali.