LAHORE - Justice Anwarul Haq of the Lahore High Court Tuesday declined hearing of a petition seeking release of suspects detained for their involvement in lynching of two men outside Youhanabad in retaliation for suicide attacks on churches.
Christian leader Joseph Frances and others have moved a petition in the LHC seeking release of christens detained in connection with lynching of two men.
Justice Haq observed that since he had been Frances’ counsel in the past, however, he would not hear the instant case in the larger interest of justice. The judge sent the case to chief justice for its fixing before another judge. Previously the case was fixed before Justice Mahmood Maqbool Bajwa but he was not available on Tuesday so the case was fixed before Justice Haq.
MA Joseph and others filed the petitions alleging that the police took their family members in custody without any evidence and denied access to them. They said the police did not produce the arrested men before any court of law. Petitioners claimed that the arrested men had no link with the lynching incident.
more arrests over lynching: Police on Tuesday claimed to have arrested another 25 suspects in connection with the lynching of two men in Youhanabad. A couple of days ago, the police had detained at least 28 suspects for creating lawlessness like situation followed by lynching of two men and burning their bodies.
“We have arrested at least 25 more persons for damaging (public and private) properties and lynching two men following Youhanabad tragedy,” Lahore SSP Investigation Rana Ayaz Saleem told reporters on Tuesday. The investigation police chief further explained that six persons were arrested over lynching of two men, 12 for creating lawlessness like situation on the day twin bombings, and seven were detained for triggering violent clashes the very next day. The SSP also said that nobody is allowed to take the law into own hands and all those involved in stoking violence and ransacking properties would be arrested and brought to justice.
An angry mob lynched two suspects shortly after Taliban bombers struck two churches in the Christian locality during Sunday mass on March 15, leaving 19 persons dead including policemen. More than 70 people were also wounded in the twin blasts that sparked countrywide protests as angry members of the Christian community went on the rampage, blocked roads, damaged Metro-bus stations, and attacked private vehicles.
The Nishtar Colony police had registered a criminal case against 60 unidentified men for lynching 25-year-old Naeem and 16-year-old Adnan following the bombings.
The protesters later set their bodies on fire. After carefully examining the video footage of the incident, the police have identified most of the attackers. The police are conducting raids to arrest those involved in the gruesome killings, police sources said.