Sialkot lynching: 85 main suspects detained, 100 others included in investigation

COLOMBO (News 1st); Authorities in Pakistan's Punjab province on Wednesday (29) said that they have detained 85 main suspects after determining their role in the lynching of Sri Lankan national Proyantha Kumara in Sialkot, in early December.

The Hindu reports that On Tuesday (28) the Lahore High Court Chief Justice directed Sialkot District Police Officer to complete investigation of the suspects and submit the report to the court at the earliest so that the trial could begin.

A Punjab Police official told the PTI on Wednesday (29) that currently around 85 main suspects who were identified have been detained on physical remand, and over 100 other suspects were also included in the investigation but no evidence of their involvement in the case was detected, thus they were not named in the FIR and some of them who were detained were released.

“We want to present a strong case against prime suspects in the Court and investigation teams are working hard on it,” he said, adding that the Police will submit the investigation report against the 85 detained suspects in the anti-terrorism court likely at the end of next month.

On Tuesday (28), the Lahore High Court Chief Justice Muhammad Ameer Bhatti directed Sialkot District Police Officer (DPO) Omar Saeed Malik to complete investigation of the suspects and submit the report to the court at the earliest so that the trial in the case could begin.

DPO Malik gave a detailed briefing to the chief justice on the progress made so far in the lynching case of the Sri Lankan citizen.

Meanwhile, the Sialkot District Bar Association has already announced that they will not be representing any of the the suspects.