Lahore court extends cleric's remand in sexual abuse case

(Karachi) A Lahore court has extended the physical remand of Mufti Aziz-ur-Rehman for three days for sexually assaulting a seminary student, local media reported on Friday.

The police produced the cleric before Judicial Magistrate Rana Rasheed Ali Khan on completion of his physical remand and requested that his remand be extended as his custody is needed for further investigation.

The investigation officer said that Mufti Aziz-ur-Rehman and his sons need to be investigated further. He said the cleric’s Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) test has not yet been conducted and added he would submit a forensic report soon.

Mufti Aziz confesses to molesting seminary student

The court accepted the investigation officer's plea and extended the cleric's remand for three days.

Police nab cleric

On June 20, Lahore police arrested former JUI leader Mufti Aziz-ur-Rehman from Mianwali for his alleged involvement in sexually abusing a seminary student. The arrest comes days after a video went viral on social media in which Rehman could be seen molesting his student.

Police arrest Mufti Aziz, son from Mianwali in sexual abuse case

The police said that Mufti Aziz was arrested along with one of his sons during a raid in Mianwali. The victim, who had been enrolled in Jamia Manzoorul Islamia since 2013, had registered a case against the cleric at North Cantt Police Station in Lahore.

Confessional statement

During police interrogation, Mufti Aziz confessed to sexually abusing his student. In his confessional statement, the cleric said, "The video of molestation is of me. I made a mistake and I'm embarrassed about it."

Mufti Aziz added that the student videotaped the incident without his knowledge and when he found out about the video, he asked him to not disclose it to anyone.

"He made the video viral despite the fact I had warned him about it. After it went viral, my sons called him out and threatened him of consequences," the cleric revealed.