SWABI, Sept 2: A mob ransacked a house in a remote mountain village of Gadoon Amazai after its owners were accused by neighbours of desecrating the Holy Quran.

The incident occurred on Thursday afternoon in Gandaf village when one Saeedullah claimed to have found a copy of the Quran which he alleged had been thrown away by a couple.

He informed other people in the village and a large crowd gathered outside the house and finding that the couple and other members of the family were not there, they attacked the house and almost destroyed it.

According to police officials, the couple, Mr Lal and his wife Krishna, have been arrested and other members of the family have been moved to some other place. An FIR has been registered under Section 295-B of the Pakistan Penal Code. Mr Lal is son of Hakim Gangahvaish and the family has been living in the village for over 120 years.

People in the crowd were chanting slogans against the family and the government and demanding that the couple be handed over to them. They blocked the Ulta-Topi road for several hours resulting in suspension of vehicular traffic.

A contingent of the Frontier Constabulary was sent to the area but by that time, police officials said, they had brought the situation under control.

DIG Mardan Salman Khan, DPO Swabi Atta Muhammad and DCO Adil Khan went to the village and assured the people that an inquiry would be held and stern action would be taken against the couple if the allegation was found to be correct. They set up a two-member committee and asked it to submit its report in two weeks.

Meanwhile, Mr Gangahvaish has stated that Islam is a religion of peace and his family respects the Holy Book. According to a police official, he rejected the allegation that his son had in any way desecrated the Holy Quran.

KILLED: A constable was killed near the DPO’s office on Friday morning by some unidentified people.