Sialkot lynching case: Court remands 18 more in police custody for 15 days

GUJRANWALA: An The judge anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Gujranwala granted 15-day physical remand of 18 more accused in Sri Lankan citizens Priyantha Kumara killing case on Monday.

The police produced the accused before ATC Judge Natasha Naseem and requested for physical remand of the accused. Those produced in the court were: Saeed, Sajid, Qasim, Mehmood, Sheraz, Jawad, Ali Haider, Asghar, Ghulam Ghous, Zahid Ali, Husnain, Faisal, Zaigham, Abu Bakar, Haroon, Zain Ali, Ahmad and Abu Talha.

Police brought the accused amid strict security. The judge ordered the police to produce the accused in the court on Dec 28 for further proceedings. Thirty-four accused are already in the police custody on physical remand.

On Saturday, the Punjab government decided to hold trials of all the suspects named in the case inside the prison and asked its administration to make the necessary arrangements for it. Earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan and Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar took notice of the incident and ordered police authorities to conduct a transparent investigation to bring the accused under the law. Priyantha Kumara was employed in a factory in Sialkot as an export manager and was killed by a mob on allegations that he tore a poster pasted on the wall of the factory bearing religious sentiments. His body was later dragged on the road and set on fire by the mob, receiving global condemnation.