SIALKOT: The Punjab police have arrested at least 118 suspects, including 13 key accused, involved in the lynching and burning of the body of a Sri Lankan national, employed as a manager in a factory on Wazirabad Road, Sialkot.
In a statement on Twitter, Punjab Police stated that they have arrested 13 “key suspects” involved in the attack with the help of other managers of the factory where the incident took place. “The suspects have been shifted to an undisclosed place for further investigation,” the police said.
پولیس نے 24 گھنٹے سے کم وقت میں 13 مرکزی ملزمان کو گرفتار کیا ،118 مشتبہ افراد زیر حراست ہیں آئی جی پنجاب اس آپریشن کی خود نگرانی کر رہے تھے RPO گوجرانولہ اور DPO سیالکوٹ کی نگرانی میں گرینڈ آپریشن کیا گیا اب تک200 سے زائد چھاپے مارے گئے@UsmanAKBuzdar @ImranKhanPTI #Sialkot https://t.co/8VGpLv01nx
— Punjab Police Official (@OfficialDPRPP) December 4, 2021
The police further said Farhan Idrees, the key suspect, has been detained. Meanwhile, the police have also booked at least 800 people under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).
Sources have claimed that two key suspects had “confessed” to their involvement in the torture and killing of the manager. During initial questioning, the two suspects, identified as Farhan and Talha, “admitted” their role in the brutal attack, the sources added.
The police said hundreds of people armed with sticks and batons were present inside the factory at the time of the murder of Priyantha Kumara. After the murder, the mob dragged his body on the streets, the police said, adding that it failed to stop the crowd due to a lack of strength.
On the other hand, an initial report of the incident has been submitted to Prime Minister Imran Khan by the Punjab Police. As per the report, at least 112 suspects have been detained who were identified with the help of the factory managers. The provocateurs have been arrested as well.
‘Hasaan Khawar briefs media’
Briefing the media on the progress made so far, Special Assistant to Chief Minister on Information Hasaan Khawar confirmed the arrest of 118 people, including the 13 “key suspects”, and said the suspects were arrested with the help of 160 videos that yielded 12 hours of footage.
He said the provincial government has formed 10 teams to arrest all suspects involved in the murder. “The Sri Lankan manager had already died when police received the first telephone call regarding the incident”, he said.
The Punjab government spokesperson said police and the civil administration will take the investigation to its “logical end”. He revealed that the Sri Lankan national had been living alone in the country.
Speaking on the occasion, the inspector general of police for Punjab said police negligence was not a factor in the brutal murder.
He said the district police officer (DPO) and a superintendent of police (SP) had to reach the crime scene on foot as roads were blocked in the area on that day.
‘Sri Lankan PM confident’
On Twitter, Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa said he was shocked by the brutal and fatal attack on the manager.
“My heart goes out to his wife and family. Sri Lanka and her people are confident that PM Imran Khan will keep to his commitment to bring all those involved to justice,” he tweeted on Saturday.
On Friday, Prime Minister Imran Khan had called the incident a “horrific vigilante attack”, adding it was a day of shame for Pakistan. “I am overseeing the investigations and let there be no mistake all those responsible will be punished with full severity of the law. Arrests are in progress,” he tweeted.
‘Media should avoid premature blaming’
Former chairman of the Central Ruet-i-Hilal Committee Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rehman has strongly condemned the incident but called on the media to desist from attributing blame to any group or individual before completion of investigations.
He said there was no ground to take the law into one’s own hands when a constitutional and legal system was present in the country despite whatever deficits it may have.
“Anarchy and lawlessness spread in society, which are not in any way beneficial for the country, and a negative image is created of the country on the international level,” he is quoted as saying in a statement.
Lynched over ‘blasphemy’
The nation was shell-shocked and disgusted on Friday when a Sri Lankan national was brutally lynched and his body was set on fire by a mob in Sialkot. The incident took place on Sialkot’s Wazirabad Road, where workers of private factories brutally lynched the Sri Lankan national.
Several gruesome video clips shared on social media showed a mob beating the victim while chanting slogans against blasphemy. Other clips showed his body set ablaze, as well as the overturned wreckage of what was said to be his car.
Many in the mob made no attempt to hide their identity and some took selfies in front of the burning corpse. The police claimed that the grisly incident took place inside the factory premises and there was no way of knowing about it before that time.
