RAWALPINDI: The district police have arrested a religious cleric for defending Mufti Azizur Rehman, a Lahore-based cleric who has confessed to sexually abusing his student, in a sermon that went viral on social media.
The religious cleric, identified as Mufti Ismail Toru, made blasphemous remarks while defending Mufti Aziz. After his video clip went viral on social media, Ratta Amral police station registered a First Information Report (FIR) under Section 298 ATP.
Later, the Police in Ratta Amral presented him before a magistrate Tuesday morning. The magistrate sent him to jail on judicial remand.
Mufti Aziz, who was arrested for sexually abusing a madrassa student, had confessed to the heinous crime before a Lahore court on Monday. The cleric has supposedly confessed in his initial statement after being interrogated by police.
The cleric said that he was worried after the video went viral on social media and his sons threatened the student Sabir Shah to stop him from speaking to anyone. “I was led astray. I sexually assaulted him while offering him to help in clearing exams,” he said.
Azizur Rehman said he fled after an FIR was registered against him and he stayed with his students in Township area of Lahore, Sheikhupura and Faisalabad. He said he got arrested after his son’s phone location was traced and was in Mianwali when police arrested me.
The police requested the court for physical remand of Mufti Aziz. The court remanded him and four other accused into police custody for four days. It ordered DNA test of the cleric too.
