PESHAWAR, Sept 14: An additional district and sessions judge here on Wednesday reserved order on a bail application of a man charged with desecration of Holy Quran. The judge, Shahid Khan, fixed September 21 for pronouncing the order.

The bail application of the accused, Mohammad Rehman, had earlier been dismissed by a judicial magistrate last month.

The applicant was arrested by the Gulbahar police after a case was registered against him by the prayer leader of Farooq-i-Azam Jamia Masjid in Akhunabad-4 on July 19.

He was charged under section 295-B of the Pakistan Penal Code, dealing with offence of desecration of Holy Quran.

The prosecution alleged that the accused, who is about 22, was engaged in a quarrel with his father. His mother intervened and tried to stop him but in vain. Then she brought a copy of Holy Quran to her son and requested him to stop altercation.

The prosecution claimed that in a fit of anger, the accused threw Holy Quran away.

His mother started crying on which their neighbours, who had gathered outside their house, came to know about the incident. They informed the prayer leader of the nearby mosque who lodged the FIR.

The applicant said that he was innocent and could never think of desecrating Holy Quran. He stated that he was not aware that he had hit Holy Quran and it was an unintentional act.