Pak police find no evidence of girl’s blasphemy

In this September 8, 2012 photo, Pakistani police officials escort a Christian girl, centre, accused of blasphemy toward a helicopter following her release from central prison on the outskirts of Rawalpindi.

A Pakistani police official says no incriminating evidence has been found that a young Christian girl desecrated Islam’s holy book.

But Munir Jaffery said his final report filed with an Islamabad court on Saturday showed there is indication that the cleric of a nearby mosque tampered with evidence by putting pages of a Quran into a shopping bag the girl had been carrying.

The case gained huge attention because of the girl’s age and questions about her mental capacity.

It was also a rare instance where someone was held responsible for an apparently false accusation.

Officials arrested the imam, and the girl was freed on bail. The final police report backs earlier revelations and will likely bolster the defence’s plans to have the entire case thrown out.