- CM Buzdar, Police Chief Monitoring probe
LAHORE: The police on Sunday identified and arrested six more suspects believed to have masterminded the killing of a foreign manager of a local business in Sialkot over blasphemy allegations, taking the tally of the arrested to 124.
A mob of a garment production unit’s employees tortured to death and burned the body of Priyantha Kumara, a 49-year-old Sri Lanka national working in Pakistan for ten years, on Friday reportedly over allegations of blasphemy.
Sialkot Assistant Commissioner Muhammad Murtaza told media that the alibi used for murder is blasphemy but the cause of murder appears ‘personal and targeted’.
“The issue is being investigated,” he said.
Meanwhile, officials said the charred body of the victim will be transported to Islamabad. From there, Sri Lankan high commission officials will take the casket home.
Late Friday, a first information report (FIR) was registered against 900 workers of Rajco Industries – the business Kumara was manager of – on the application of Uggoki Station House Officer (SHO) Armaghan Maqt under sections 302, 297, 201, 427, 431, 157, 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and 7 and 11-WW of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).
Maqt admitted the protesters had tortured Kumara with sticks in his presence before dragging him out of the factory on the road where he died, but said he was helpless in front of the charged mob owing to a shortage of personnel.
Over the weekend, the police have arrested dozens on charges of inciting and forming the mob. It arrested six more primary suspects, an update shared on the Twitter account of Punjab police Sunday said.
They were traced using camera footage and mobile phone data, the police said. “The suspects were hiding at the homes of their friends and relatives,” the tweet added.
Of the 124 people arrested, 19 played a “central role” in the brutal killing, the police said.
Mob also planned to kill owner, set factory ablaze
The police investigation into the grisly lynching of Sri Lankan national in Sialkot has revealed that the violent mob had also planned to set factory on fire and attempted to murder its owner.
A media report quoting the police on Sunday stated that the violent mob had several bottles of petrol and they were planning to set factory on fire after torturing the foreign national to death.
The mob also attempted to kill the factory owner who was being tortured when police reached the factory and was rescued from the clutches of the attackers.
The mob after killing Kumar damaged his car too and also threatened to throw petrol bombs at police personnel but a heavy contingent foiled their plan.
CM Buzdar, Police Chief Monitoring probe
The statement further said the process of identifying those who instigated the violence is currently underway.
“Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and IG [Inspect General of Police] Rao Sardar Ali Khan are personally monitoring the investigation process,” the statement said.
Khan said investigators were examining footage from some 160 closed-circuit television cameras to ascertain the role of potential suspects and 10 teams were conducting raids to net more suspects.
In a separate statement, Buzdar said the investigation was being taken forward in a scientific manner. He also directed the prosecution secretary to follow the probe.
In a related development, 13 of the main suspects were produced in a criminal court and subsequently remanded in police custody for one day.
The accused will be produced before an anti-terrorism court in Gujranwala tomorrow (Monday).
