KARACHI, June 18: A blasphemy suspect was remanded in judicial custody by a judicial magistrate on Monday amid tight security.

Police had on Sunday arrested Mohammad Saleem in North Nazimabad for allegedly desecrating the Quran.

The suspect, said to be a drug addict, was brought to the premises of the city courts on Monday in an armoured personnel carrier and produced before the court of a judicial magistrate (central) for remand under tight security.

Judicial Magistrate Nasrullah Korai sent the suspect to prison on judicial remand till June 28 and directed the investigation officer to complete the investigation and submit a charge-sheet on the next hearing.

Meanwhile, a group of lawyers attempted to attack the suspect following his production in court but the policemen foiled the attack and took the suspect away safely.

According to the prosecution, the suspect was a resident of North Nazimabad’s Block N and the police arrested him on the complaint of his neighbours who said they had witnessed the alleged desecration in the apartment building where the suspect lived.

Following his arrest, a large number of people tried to storm into the police station to get hold of the suspect so that they could lynch him, but the law-enforcers fired into the air and hurled teargas shells to disperse the crowd.

A case (FIR 311/12) was registered under Section 295-B (defiling, etc, of copy of Holy Quran) of the Pakistan Penal Code at the Taimuria police station.