LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court on Monday recorded statements of six prosecution witnesses during a jail trial in the case of lynching of a Sri Lankan factory manager in Sialkot over blasphemy allegations.

The victim, 49-year-old Priyantha Kumara, was tortured to death and his body was set on fire in December last year by a mob, including the workers of the Rajco Industries garment factory, where he was a manager.

ATC judge Natasha Naseem is holding the trial proceedings inside the Kot Lakhpat Jail, Lahore, on a day-to-day basis.

The prosecution produced six witnesses who testified before the court.

The judge adjourned the hearing and directed the prosecution to present more witnesses on Tuesday (today).

The prosecution, in its challan, included 40 witnesses, besides videos, digital, DNA and forensic evidences. The witnesses also include Mr Kumara’s colleague who tried his best to save him from the mob.

According to the challan, footage from 10 digital video cameras installed in the factory was sent for forensic analysis, while the accused were traced with the help of social media videos and clips found in the mobile phones of 56 accused.

An FIR was registered against 900 suspects at the Uggoki police station for aggravated murder, while dozens of them were also booked for burning the victim’s body under the Anti-Terrorism Act and various sections of the Pakistan Penal Code. Several suspects were later arrested.

Mr Kumara had been working at Rajco Industries for the last 10 years and was brutally killed on Dec 3, 2021.

The incident drew widespread outrage and condemnation across the country, with politicians, scholars and civil society members calling for swift punishment for the perpetrators.

Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2022