Sialkot lynching trial begins in Kot Lakhpat Jail

LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) conducted the Sialkot lynching incident’s trial at Kot Lakhpat Jail here, ARY News reported on Saturday.

ATC judge Natasha Naseem heard trial of 89 accused in mob lynching of a Sri Lankan national Priyantha Kumara in Sialkot.

The copies of the case challan 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.

Police investigation determined the role of seven key accused in lynching incident in Sialkot. All seven accused confessed their crime during the investigation and recorded their confessional statements under section 164, police said.