Police arrest six more primary accused in Mian Channu lynching case
A villager speaks with police officers at a mosque, after according to the police, a mob lynched a man for allegedly burning pages of Holy Quran in Tulamba Village, in Mian Channu, on February 13, 2022. REUTERS/Arshad Raza Zaidi
Punjab police have arrested six more primary accused involved in the lynching of a mentally challenged man in Mian Channu, Khanewal, over allegations of desecrating the Holy Quran.
In a statement, the police said at least 21 prime suspects have been detained so far after investigation and identification. The total number of arrests has reached 102 in the case.
The six suspects arrested under terrorism charges today include Sadabahar, Matloob, Rafaqat, Ansar Hussain s/o Muhammad Nawaz, Ansar Hussain s/o Sadiq, and Muhammad Shafiq.
A spokesperson for the police said the accused provoked the mob and tortured the deceased with sticks and bricks. “Police are using available footage and evidence to identify more suspects,” the statement added.
Read Man accused of blasphemy ‘not mentally fit’
According to the spokesperson, police teams had conducted secret raids throughout the night to detain the accused.
A day earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan vowed the culprits involved in the lynching would be "dealt with [the] full severity of the law" along with police officials who had "failed in their duty".
The tweet by the premier came a day after a mob brutally lynched the mentally challenged man in Mian Channu city of Khanewal district. His body was later hung from a tree whereas the police allegedly played the role of silent spectators.
In an initial report submitted to Chief Minister Usman Buzdar on Sunday, Punjab IG Rao Sardar said a terrorism case was registered against 300 unknown suspects, whereas 33 people were nominated in the case as well.