Pak police claims to arrest 18 more main suspects in Sialkot lynching case

Pakistan police on Monday claimed to have arrested 18 more main suspects involved in the lynching of a Sri Lankan national Priyantha Kumara in Sialkot, local media reported.

A first information report was registered against 900 workers of Rajco Industries on the application of Uggoki Station House Officer Armaghan Maqt under sections 302, 297, 201, 427, 431, 157, 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code and 7 and 11WW of the Anti-Terrorism Act, Dawn reported.

"With Monday's arrests, the total number of suspects in custody has risen to 52," Sialkot police spokesperson Khurram Shehzad told Dawn.

According to the Pakistani newspaper, the 18 suspects were later produced before a special anti-terrorism court in Gujranwala, which remanded them in police custody for 15 days. The judge directed the police to present the suspects again on December 28.

"Thirty-four primary suspects are already in remand with police. More than 100 individuals are under investigation," the spokesperson said.

Last week, a mob in the Wazirabad Road area in Sialkot had tortured a Sri Lankan national named Priyantha Kumara to death, before burning his body over alleged blasphemy.

( With inputs from ANI )