ATC indicts 89 suspects in Sialkot lynching case

LAHORE: An Anti-terrorism court (ATC) on Saturday indicted 89 suspects for their alleged involvement in the mob lynching of a Sri Lankan national Priyantha Kumara at a Sialkot factory, ARY NEWS reported.

During the hearing of the Sialkot tragedy case by a special court at Kot Lakhpat prison, 89 suspects were indicted as they denied their involvement in the lynching of the Sri Lankan national.

The court summoned witnesses in the case and adjourned the proceedings for March 14.

It is pertinent to mention here that the anti-terrorism court (ATC) initiated the Sialkot lynching incident’s trial at Kot Lakhpat Jail in early March and judge Natasha Naseem led the proceedings into the case.

The copies of the case challan were distributed among 89 accused of the case in the hearing.

The court adjourned further hearing to frame charges against the accused till March 12.

The prosecution has added 40 witnesses in the charge sheet, while videos and digital evidence has also been made part of it.

Moreover, DNA reports, eyewitnesses and forensic evidence have also been added to the challan, prosecution sources said.

“The factory manager, who tried to save Sri Lankan victim Priyantha Kumara, has been among the witnesses,” prosecution side described.

“Ten CCTV footage taken from the factory have been sent for forensic tests,” according to the challan. “The accused arrested with the help of mobile footage and mobile phones recovered from over 55 accused,” according to the charge sheet.

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

A first information report (FIR) was registered against hundreds of unidentified men, including workers of the factory.