ATC convicts first suspect in Priyantha Kumara lynching case

GUJRANWALA: The first conviction in the Priyantha Kumara lynching case has come from the anti-terrorism court (ATC) where a suspect has been awarded one-year imprisonment, ARY NEWS reported.

According to details, the suspect identified as Adnan justified the lynching of Priyantha Kumara at the Sialkot factory on social media and later confessed to his crime before the court.

A case was registered against him at Rang Pura police station in Sialkot under charges of collaboration in a crime.

The ATC judge while announcing the verdict today awarded him one year of imprisonment besides also imposing a fine of Rs10,000.

Priyantha Kumara, a 49-year-old Sri Lankan national, was lynched by a mob at a factory in Sialkot on December 3, where he worked as manager.

A first information report (FIR) was registered against hundreds of unidentified men, including workers of the factory. Scores have since been arrested and are facing investigation.

The Punjab government and the prosecution team in December decided to conduct the jail trial of the high-profile case due to security concerns.

Recently, a special anti-terrorism court (ATC) granted physical remand of 34 accused in lynching of a Sri Lankan national Priyantha Kumara in Sialkot.

Police produced 34 accused of the lynching incident on completion of the previous remand before ATC Judge Natasha Naseem Sipra and requested for extension in the physical remand of the accused. The judge admitted the request and granted a 13-day remand.