Forces responsible for #Sialkot Murder must be found and prosecuted - Cardinal

COLOMBO (News 1st); Archbishop of Colombo His Eminence Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith expects the Pakistan authorities to determine who killed Priyantha Kumara in Sialkot and what forced were responsible for it.

"These people seem to have been led by some people. So, those leaders also must be found and punished according to law," he told reporters after paying his respects to the remains of the late Priyantha Kumara, at his residence.

The late Priyantha Kumara was brutally murdered by a mob on 3rd December 2021 in Sialkot, Pakistan.

His remains were flown to Sri Lanka from Lahore on Monday (6) and the final rites will be performed on Wednesday (8).

"We expect the government of Pakistan to provide adequate compensation to the family so that they can build their lives for the future," said His Eminence.

He viewed the murder as a very tragic event, adding that religion and politics should be kept apart for any country to be at peace.

He called on all the people to ensure such events do not repeat and to live as one.

The Incident: 

A mob comprising hundreds of protestors, including the employees of the factory Kumara was the manager of, had tortured him to death on Friday and later burnt his body.

A first information report was registered against 900 workers of Rajco Industries on the application of Uggoki Station House Officer (SHO) Armaghan Maqt under Sections 302, 297, 201, 427, 431, 157, 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code and 7 and 11WW of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

The applicant stated that the protesters had slapped, kicked, punched and hit Kumara with sticks in his presence, and dragged him out of the factory on Wazirabad Road where he died. They then set the body on fire.

Initial Investigation Report: 

Pakistan Media are now reporting that there was a plot to assassinate Priyantha Kumara, the Sri Lankan manager, who was brutally murdered in Sialkot, Pakistan on 3rd December 2021.

The Punjab Police have confirmed that the most wanted accused in the murder of a Sri Lankan export manager, was arrested on Monday (6).

The suspect was identified as Imtiaz alias Billi, and he was involved in torturing the late Priyantha Kumara and desecrating his body.

The accused was arrested on a bus bound for Rawalpindi.

In the last 12 hours, Punjab Police arrested seven more key figures, including one accused of plotting to assassinate a Sri Lankan manager, as well as one of the perpetrators of violence and incitement.

Quoting unidentified police sources, Geo TV said some factory workers disliked the deceased manager, a textile engineer, for being strict in enforcing discipline.

After a routine inspection on Friday morning, Mr Kumara had snubbed the sanitary staff over poor work. The channel further reported that as the factory was about to undergo a whitewash, the manager started removing posters from walls. As one of the posters was an invitation to a religious moot, some workers objected to it.

According to Pakistan’s Geo News the Punjab government had sent an initial investigation report of the Sialkot tragedy to Prime Minister Imran Khan.

As per the preliminary report, a dispute had emerged when Kumara removed some posters from the walls of the factory at 10:28am.

Shortly after, the factory owner had reached the spot and resolved the issue. Kumara had apologized for the misunderstanding on his part.

After Kumara made the apology, the matter was reportedly considered settled and the factory workers had dispersed.

However, some workers then incited their colleagues to attack the manager.

Within a few minutes, a mob formed and set on the victim within the premises of the industrial unit, eventually killing him.

A mob of over 800 men gathered at the factory on reports that Kumara had torn a sticker/poster.

“They looked out for him and found him (from the rooftop). They dragged him, beat him severely, and by 11.28 am he was dead and the body was set on fire by the violent mob,” said Police Report.

A total of 13 security guards were present in the factory as the brutal attack was occurring. None of them tried to rescue the victim or disperse the mob, the report had said.