SANGHAR A large number of people took to the streets here on Thursday and blocked all roads by burning tyres after hearing a rumour that a woman had desecrated the Quran.

The mob later gathered in front of the police station when they heard that police had taken the woman, Ms Malkani, into protective custody. They demanded that she be handed over to them.

The rumour was spread by one Siddique Arain who runs a grocery shop near Ms Malkani's house on the Mal Piri road.

He alleged that she desecrated the holy book when he asked her to pay back Rs7,300 that she owed him.

She disputed his claim and said she would keep the money on the holy book and if he was telling the truth he should pick it from there.

Arain claimed that he brought the holy book, the woman kissed it, placed it on her head and then threw it on the ground.

Ms Malkani, 40, denied the charge and said she had gone to the shop to settle a monetary dispute with Arain who showed her the book of the accounts and demanded that amount mentioned be paid.

Enraged at the inflated figure shown in the book she threw it on the ground and returned home, she claimed.

Later, she said, the shopkeeper made up the blasphemy allegation and at about 8pm gathered people of the neighbourhood and narrated the concocted story.

Sanghar Taluka Nazim Saeed Khan, District Bar Association president Anwar Mehmood Nizamani, Sufi Abdul Haq of the Federation of Trade and Commerce and elders of the area persuaded the mob to calm down and let the law take its course.

A 10-member committee including Saeed Khan Nizamani, Anwar Mehmood, Sufi Abdul Haq, Hassan Askari, Haji Ghaffar Qureshi, Haji Yasin, Asghar Yousufzai and Haji Islam Qureshi, has been formed to ascertain facts.

The woman is in police custody.

Statements of IOs recorded

Justice Iqbal Hameedur Rehman of the Lahore High Court on Thursday recorded the statements of two investigation officers in connection with the Gojra incident at his camp office here.

The tribunal has meanwhile issued notices to 50 affected people to appear before it on Friday.

Meanwhile, 607 people wanting to record their statements have got themselves registered with the tribunal.

Prominent among them were PML-N district secretary-general Nadeem Qasim Khan, Jamaat-i-Islami leader Aftab Warraich, Osama Hamza, son of former MNA Hamza, Jamaat Ahle Sunnat leader Pir Israr Bahar Shah and Christian lawyer Mukhtar Ameen advocate.