KASUR: An additional district and sessions judge cancelled on Monday the interim bails of five suspects nominated in the serial child abuse case.

Another court extended the physical remand of seven suspects, who are already in police custody, for two and three days. Police included two sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act in the FIRs already registered with the Ganda Singh Police Station.

A tense atmosphere was witnessed outside the court when the five suspects on interim ball were brought to the court. Hundreds of villagers and policemen were present there.

After hearing arguments of the counsel for both sides for about two hours, Judge Samina Hayat cancelled the bails of Mohammad Yahya, Saleem Akhtar Sherazi, Attiqur Rehman, Tanzeelul Rehman and Aleem Asif.

Another court of additional sessions judge extended the physical remand ofsuspects HaseemAmir, FaizanMajeed, Naseem Shahzad and Basharat to Aug 12 and of Ali Majeed, Abdul Manan and Usman Khalid to Aug 13.

Latif Sara, the victims` counsel, told reporters that at least 15 people were involved in the criminal assault.

According to police, nine of the 15 suspects were involved in abusing the children and the rest aided them. So far seven cases have been registered.

The number of arrests rose to 12after the cancellation of interim bails of five suspects. Raids are being conducted to arrest the remaining accused. Police claimed to have recovered 30 clips of the child abuse video.

Meanwhile, Reham Khan, wife of PTI Chairman Imran Khan, visited Kasur`s Hussain Khanwala village, where hundreds of children had allegedly been molested. Mrs Khan met some victims and their families, admiring their bravery in raising their voice against cruelty and injustice. She also praised the media for focusing on the actual issue instead of indulging in ratings race.

She said there was no need for constituting commissions in the presence of victims and proof of molestation while the suspectshad alsoconfessedtotheir crimes. She stressed the need for making laws for such cases because these crimes were being committed in other parts of the country, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.Our reporter in Lahore adds: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Manzoor Ahmad Malik has turned down the Punjab government`s request for a judicial inquiry into the child abuse case.

`Police is already investigating the cases. As such, there is no justification to hold a judicial inquiry or to nominate district and sessions judge, Kasur, for the said purpose,` said a letter written by the LHC registrar to the home secretary.The home secretary had sent a reference to the chief justice for holding a judicial inquiry into the scandal.

But the chief justice noted that FIRs against certain suspects had been registered, some of them were on prearrest bail, some had been arrested and were on physical remand. This showed that the matter was already being investigated by police, he observed.

`The request is, therefore, declined, the chief justice said.