By Sanjeev Sharma

New Delhi, Jan 20 (IANS): An anti-cybercrime court in Rawalpindi has sentenced a Muslim woman to death on charges of sending blasphemous material over WhatsApp, Samaa TV reported.

The judge delivered the reserved verdict on Wednesday.

According to a summary issued by the Sessions court, the 26-year-old woman was arrested in May 2020 and charged with posting blasphemous material on her WhatsApp status.

It was reported that when a friend asked her to change her WhatsApp status, she sent the content to him instead.

The woman was sentenced to a total of 20 years under Section 295C of the Pakistan Penal Code, which pertains to blasphemy.

She has been fined 150,000 PKR as well.

She was also sentenced to 10 years under Section 295-A (a deliberate act to insult someone's religion), three years under Section 298-A (derogatory remarks for a religious personage) and seven years under Section 11 of the Cyber Crimes Act (for forgery).

The criminal case was registered by the FIA Cyber Crime Wing on May 13, 2020, on the complaint of Muhammad Hasnat Farooq, after which she was arrested.

The case was decided by Additional District and Sessions Judge Adnan Mushtaq. The case was pursued by Raja Imran Khalil Advocate on behalf of the plaintiff.