CHAKWAL: An additional district and sessions judge in Talagang sentenced a man to death on Tuesday for committing blasphemy.

Judge Rana Zahoor Ahmad also imposed a fine of Rs50,000 on 29-year-old Abdul Sattar, a resident of Larkana, who was sent to prison in Jhelum.

Mohammad Saeed, of Talagang town, had filed a complaint with the city police station on Feb 5 last year. He said he had been receiving derogatory text messages and calls from a wrong number for several days. He told police that contents of the messages and conversation of the caller blasphemed Holy Quran, Prophet (PBUH) and Sahabas (companions of the Prophet).

A case was registered and District Police Officer Syed Ali Mohsin set up a special inquiry committee, headed by then Superintendent of Police (Investigation) Malik Matloob.

The committee collected data of calls and text messages sent by a cell number belonging to Abdul Sattar.

“We took permission from the home department for a raid in Larkana and arrested the accused,” SP Matloob told Dawn on phone from Rawalpindi.

He said Sattar had confessed to have committed the crime. “The accused behaved quite normally when arrested,” the SP added.