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- June 23, 2024
- Kainat Shakeel
- 0
At least 23 people have been detained, according to Swat District Police Officer (DPO) Dr. Zahidullah Khan, for allegedly organizing a crowd and lynching a man in Madyan earlier this week. Inside the Madyan police station on Thursday night, a guy who had been arrested for allegedly defiling the Holy Quran was mercilessly killed by the mob. After that, the police station, a police car, and the suspect’s body were all set on fire by the mob. Locals claim that after some people declared at a market that the victim had committed blasphemy, others caught up with him and turned him over to the police. Not long after, mosques in Madyan, a popular tourist attraction in Swat, also made statements that incited the populace to assemble near the police station.
Witnesses said that once the police refused to give up the victim, the mob pushed their way into the police station. As further reinforcements were brought in to handle the severe law and order situation, police officials were forced to evacuate to save themselves. Videos of the incident that went viral on social media made for gruesome viewing: in some, the Madyan police station was shown on fire, and in other ones, a sizable crowd was seen encircling the deceased’s lifeless body before it was doused in gasoline and set ablaze. In the last few weeks, there have been two reports of incidents of this kind. A Christian man was rescued by police from an angry mob in Sargodha last month after he was accused of desecrating the Holy Quran. Nine days later, his injuries had claimed his life.
Swat police had filed two first information reports (FIRs) on Friday. “To obtain information, we have opened an investigation into the occurrence. Regional Police Officer Muhammad Ali Gandapur stated, “The police have filed two first information reports, one against the deceased and the other against the mob for breaking into the police station, breaking and torching records, and vehicles.”
According to a press release issued by the Swat DPO’s office today, a case has been filed against those involved in the incident under Sections 302 (murder penalty), 324 (attempted murder), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees), 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy house), 186 (obstructing public servant in the performance of public functions), 149 (every member of unlawful assembly guilty of the offense committed in prosecution of common object), and 148 (rioting, armed with a deadly weapon) of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act against those involved. He stated, “The case was filed against 2,500 unknown and 49 known accused named in the FIR.”