BADIN: Three suspects who faced trial in a case pertaining to a mob’s act of disinterring a local Hindu singer’s body and throwing it out of the grave in Pangrio town in October 2013 were exonerated for want of substantive evidence.

The body of singer Bhooro Bheel was buried in a portion of the Haji Fakir graveyard near Pangrio which was said to be not meant for burial of non-Muslims. His burial triggered a reaction by Muslims following announcements through mosques’ loudspeakers calling for public protest. Eventually large crowds of Muslims gathered at the graveyard and fanatics among them disinterred the body.

The incident that caused communal tension in the town drew criticism from opponents of religious extremism as well as local and international rights organisations.

Eventually, some suspects were arrested and put on trial.

On Tuesday, Badin Civil Judge Tahir Ahmed Abbasi finally exonerated Khamiso Leghari, Muzaffar Ahmed Arain and Ali Akber Khoso from all charges framed against them in the case.

He ruled that no concrete evidence of the suspects’ involvement in inciting people to disinter Bhooro Bheel’s body was produced in his court by the prosecution. The judge ordered release of the three suspects.

Speaking to the media, the freed men said they had falsely been implicated in the case. In reply to a question, they denied having entered into a deal with the singer’s family on their acquittal.

Published in Dawn, September 24th, 2015

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