LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore Tuesday remanded the main accused in the murder of a seven-year-old boy in police custody for six days whereas it ordered the release of two others, including the mosque's prayer leader, who was earlier suspected of raping and killing the boy.

Moeen, a resident of Lahore’s Green Town, had been molested inside a mosque on Jan 2 and subsequently murdered by hanging. He was hanged from a fan on the second floor of the Baitul Mukaram mosque in Lahore's Bihari Colony, Green Town.

Police had taken a number of suspects in custody before carrying out a thorough investigation that included DNA and polygraph tests.

The DNA report of a 17-year-old suspect had confirmed him as the convict.

Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) Amin Wains had claimed during a press conference that Shoaib, a hairdresser in Behari colony, had confessed to his crime during investigation.

Take a look: Police ‘solve’ minor’s murder mystery

Headed by CIA DSP Anwar Saeed Kingra, a police team had investigated the case from different angles after collecting evidence from the crime scene, he had said, adding that initially eight suspects were taken into custody. Later, the samples of all the suspects were sent for forensic analysis and the DNA test had finally led the police to prime suspect Shoaib.

Earlier, the muezzin (who leads the call to prayer) of the mosque had been the prime accused in the young boy’s death, but police cleared him of murdering the child, claiming that the prayer leader had only sexually assaulted the boy two days before he was found murdered.