In a shocking development to a 2019 case, all of which erupted from a false accusation, an innocent Hindu minority teacher was sentenced to 25 years in prison in Pakistan. The charges levelled against the teacher, Notan Lal, were of blasphemy after a student in his Urdu class alleged the teacher insulted Prophet Mohammed.
Now, the court in Pakistan hearing the case have ruled against Lal, convicting him of a crime he didn't commit. It is reported that the court's ruling were made under pressure, disregarding any evidence incriminating the teacher. Even the student, identified as Mohammed Ihtisham, confessed that he cooked up blasphemy charges against his teacher and even sought forgiveness from "Sir Notan" on social media.
False blasphemy accusation spiralled out of control
Atrocities against minorities in Pakistan continues unabated and now the justice system is so flawed that lack of evidence is no reason not to prosecute an innocent. A Hindu teacher in Pakistan's Ghotki in Sindh province was arrested in 2019 over charges of blasphemy. A student had complained against his Hindu school principal of insulting Prophet Mohammed during a class.
The complaint took a violent turn as angry mob attacked Hindu temples and shops, causing destruction worth millions of rupees. The violence expanded to many parts of Pakistan, including towns like Mirpur, Mathelo and Adilpur, demanding Lal's arrest.
Following this, Lal was booked under Article 295 (c) of Pakistan penal code for "derogatory remarks in respect of the Holy Prophet". The teacher was arrested later. But the shocking revelation by the student who accused Lal of blasphemy was made after he witnessed how his personal grudge took the turn for the worse.
In a social media post, he confessed to making false allegations of blasphemy against the principal after he was angry for being scolded by Notan Lal. He even said that he had no idea the issue would blow up to such a proportion and sought forgiveness from "Sir Notan"
Despite clear evidence of innocence, the Hindu minority teacher couldn't escape the injustice at the hands of Pakistan's judicial system.
