Over 100 arrested after Sialkot mob lynches Sri Lankan man

Over 100 people have been arrested in Sialkot after a mob of factory workers and others killed and burned the body of a Sri Lankan national over alleged blasphemy allegations.

The police have formed ten teams to identify and arrest the persons involving in the lynching of the Sri Lankan national.

The Sri Lankan national was working as a senior manager at a leading Sialkot factory that manufactures and exports sports products. The factory is located at the Wazirabad Road.

Details of the incident began to emerge hours after graphic lynching videos went viral on social media.

District Police Officer (DPO) Sialkot Umar Saeed Malik has issued a statement giving the following sequence of the events.

• At 11:30am, the police received information about a brawl and torture of a worker in a factory located at the Wazirabad Road. Ugoki Police Station SHO arrived at the scene by 11:50am and found that some incensed people had set a person on fire. The Police doused the flames.
• After getting the report of the unfortunate incident, the DPO Sialkot and other police officials arrived at the scene and controlled the situation.
• The police have registered an FIR No. 1412 under sections 431, 427, 149, 147, 297, 201, 302, and 7ATA at Ugoki Police station against unidentified people and have launched an investigation.
• At least ten investigation teams have been formed under the DPO and they are carrying out raids to arrest the accused who are being identified from the [viral] videos.

Punjab Government Spokesman Hasaan Khawar told journalists that over 50 people have been arrested and more were being identified through CCTV footage.

Punjab police later said the number of arrests had increased to over 100.

The Police tweeted two photos of an accused, named Farhan Idrees, who earlier appeared on one of the viral videos and supported the violence against the Sri Lankan national. One of the photo tweeted by the Police shows him behind bars while the other is from the viral video.

The tweet said Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) was overseeing the investigation and and raids were being carried out to arrest other suspects.

Hasaan Khawar earlier said that action will be taken against each and every individual involved in the attack. ?We have begun an impartial investigation and justice will be served in this incident,? he said. (Courtesy SAMAA TV)