The Karachi police on Monday arrested a main suspect along with his two employees over charges of beating a citizen in the city’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA).

The development came after a video of the incident went viral on social media earlier today, prompting authorities to take notice of it.

The man, identified as Salman Farooqi, was arrested from DHA and his vehicle was impounded, Karachi South Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Syed Asad Raza said in a statement.

The man, travelling in a luxury car, allegedly subjected a bike rider, who was accompanied by a woman, to torture on the Khayaban-i-Ittehad road after a minor accident.

Earlier today, the police had arrested the suspect’s driver and guard during late-night raids on his home and office in DHA. DIG Raza clarified that the held suspect was not a government employee.

Stating that the citizen who was subjected to violence had not approached the police to file a complaint, the DIG said the police were trying to contact his family.

Meanwhile, the Gizri police registered a first information report (FIR) against the suspect, his armed guard and driver on complaint of a citizen named Mohammad Saleem under sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) and 506-B (threat to cause death or grievous hurt) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Other PPC sections invoked included 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), 342 (wrongful confinement) and 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace).

According to the FIR, Saleem identified himself as a cell manager of a cellular company. The complainant said he had gone to Ittehad Commercial for recovery at around 8:35pm on Sunday when a minor accident took place between the bike rider and a Land Cruiser.

The complainant said Farooqi put the bike rider hostage at gunpoint inside his vehicle, after which he beat him, used abusive language and threatened him.

He added that the woman pleaded with the vehicle owner but he pushed her back with contempt.

DIG Raza said the police were taking the issue “extremely seriously” and that an investigation has been launched. He asserted that no one was above the law and vowed to promise “complete justice” to the aggrieved citizen.

“The suspects involved in the torture would be brought to justice and all requirements of justice would be fulfilled. The law is equal for all, and there is no exception,” he said.

Meanwhile, both Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar and Karachi Additional IG Javed Alam Odho directed the South senior superintendent of police to submit a detailed report on the incident.

They further ordered him to take action against the culprits, as no one was above the law.

In another road rage incident in Lahore in March, armed guards of a private security company reportedly fired shots at a car rider at Dharampura Underpass, thrashed him and fled the scene, leaving a vehicle and some weapons on the spot.

In October last year, three men were held for their alleged involvement in assaulting women during a quarrel at a restaurant in DHA. They were granted bail later.