Sri Lankan National Lynched In Pakistan Had Nearly All His Bones Broken, 99% Body Burnt: Report
Angry supporters of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) attacked a garment factory on Friday and lynched the general manager Diyawadana, before setting him on fire over allegations of blasphemy.
New Delhi: Nearly all the bones of Sri Lankan national Priyantha Kumara Diyawadana were broken and his body sustained 99% burn injuries in the lynching incident in Pakistan's Punjab province, the post-mortem report showed.
Angry supporters of hardline Islamist party Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) attacked a garment factory on Friday and lynched the general manager Diyawadana, before setting him on fire over allegations of blasphemy.
His post-mortem report cited skull and jaw fractures as the cause of death, the Geo News reported.
All his vital organs, stomach, liver and one of his kidneys, were affected, and torture marks were visible all over the body and his spinal cord was broken at three points, according to the report.
The post-mortem report showed that 99% of his body was burnt and with the exception of one foot, all his bones were broken.
Punjab Police spokesperson said that after the autopsy, Diyawadana's body was sent to Lahore where it will be handed over to the Sri Lankan consulate.
After all the legal formalities, his body will be sent to Sri Lanka on a special flight, the report quoted the official as saying.
Meanwhile, a video footage has emerged showing a man jump in and try to save the Sri Lankan national as the mob thrashed him, the report said, adding that he bore the beating for a while but was unable to continue.
After Diyawadana was killed, another man was seen pleading to the crowd to not set it on fire, but he was thrown aside, the report added.
As pressure mounted on the Pakistan government to bring the accused to justice, over 800 people have been booked under terrorism charges while 13 prime suspects are among 118 arrested so far.
Diyawadana, a graduate from University of Peradeniya, is survived by his wife and two children. He went to Pakistan for employment in 2010 and has been working as manager of the Sialkot factory since 2012.
The Sri Lankan Parliament, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa have condemned the incident and hoped that Prime Minister Imran Khan will keep his commitment to bring all those involved to justice.
A mob of over 800 people gathered at the factory at 10am Friday on reports that Diyawadana had torn a sticker/poster (inscribed with Islamic verses) and committed ‘blasphemy’. They dragged him out, beat him severely and after he died, his body was set on fire, Inspector General of Police (Punjab) Rao Sardar Ali Khan said.
The incident triggered widespread condemnation from all walks of life. Police were also chided for reaching the crime scene after the incident. Only a couple of police personnel can be seen in one video asking the people to stay back while the body was burning.
Mob killings over allegations of blasphemy have been common in Pakistan.
In April 2017, an angry mob lynched a university student Mashal Khan when he was accused of posting blasphemous content online.
A Christian couple was lynched and set ablaze in a kiln in Punjab in 2014 after being accused of desecrating the Quran.
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