FAISALABAD, July 25: An additional district and sessions judge on Thursday adjourned the hearing on bail applications of 30 people of Chak Jhumra for August 2 on the request of the accused’s counsel.

The counsel for the accused, Mian Farooq Israr, in his arguments said it was a simple case of religious provocation which incited the “mob” to kill a person who committed blasphemy publicly.

However, the prosecution pleaded that the case was of serious nature while the accused have been booked under Section 322 PPC (qatl-i-sahav) which was a noncognizable offence.

In fact Zahid Shah had been killed with an “intention” and that the accused should be booked under section 302 PPC, it added.

Replying to the arguments of the defence, deputy district-attorney Ghulam Murtaza contended that it was not a case of Section 322 PPC. The accused should rather have been booked under Section 302 PPC as their motive was clear from the arguments of their counsel and their own statements before police.

The court observed that police had absolutely no discretionary power to book the accused according to their own judgment. It was the court to adjudge a case.

When the accused’s counsel realized that the prosecution was not providing any latitude to the accused, he sought adjournment and demanded that the complainants should be produced before the court. He claimed that they were ready to pardon the accused.

The courtroom was packed by villagers, notables of the area and relatives of the accused when the proceedings began.

The accused were arrested by the Chak Jhumra police on July 6 on the charge of stoning to death one Zahid in Chak 103-JB (Barnala). On July 11, a civil judge-cum-judicial magistrate rejected the bail applications on the ground that it was beyond its jurisdiction.

PROTEST: Scores of men, women and children of Chak Jhumra area took out a procession on Thursday to protest against the local police for torturing a teenaged boy and threatening to kill him in an encounter.