MARDAN: Sabir Mayar, an accused nominated in the FIR in Mashal Khan lynching case, surrendered to Mardan police here on Monday, officials said.

Talking to Dawn, Sher Alam Khan Shinwari, regional police officer Mardan, said the police had lodged FIR against 61 accused persons, including Sabir Mayar, in the murder case of Mashal Khan, a student of journalism and mass communication department of Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan, who was lynched by a mob of students and university staff on April 13, 2017, after he was allegedly blamed for committing blasphemy.

He said Mayar, who was declared a proclaimed offender by an anti-terrorism court, presented himself before the police on Monday after absconding for about 11 months.

Mr Shinwari claimed the surrender was made as a result of frequent raids by police personnel on his home and other hideouts.

He said the report of joint investigation team formed to probe Mashal’s murder had suggested that Mayar was among those conspirators who had allegedly planned the student’s murder.

The RPO said the number of arrested accused in lynching case had reached 60.

Earlier, he said police had conducted raids to arrest Mayar, but remained unsuccessful.

He said only one nominated suspect, Asad Katlang, a university employee, remains to be arrested in the murder case.

Published in Dawn, March 20th, 2018