LAHORE: An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan on Thursday separated the trial of nine juvenile suspects allegedly involved in the lynching of a Sri Lankan national in Punjab province over blasphemy allegations in December last year.
Last week, the ATC Lahore indicted 89 suspects for their alleged role in the ghastly incident that sparked countrywide outrage.
A mob, including supporters of a hardline Islamist party - Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) - attacked a garment factory and lynched its general manager Priyantha Kumara, 47, and burned his body over allegations of blasphemy on December 3, 2021, in Sialkot district, some 100-km from Lahore.
The incident sparked outrage across Pakistan with all sections of society condemning it and calling for the culprits to be given exemplary punishment.
"The ATC has directed the prosecution to file a separate challan of nine juvenile suspects. Their trial will be held separately," a court official told PTI on Thursday.
He said the prosecution had sought death penalty for remaining 80 suspects.
"So far over 30 suspects have recorded their statements before the ATC since the trial began this week," he said.
ATC judge Natasha Nasim is holding the trial proceedings inside the Kot Lakhpat Jail, Lahore, on a day-to-day basis as it is in-camera.
The prosecution has submitted a list of 40 witnesses, videos of the suspects, DNA and forensic evidence.
The suspects denied the charges of their involvement in the crime.
Some factory employees had accused Kumara of tearing a poster of TLP inscribed with Islamic verses during his inspection of machines in the factory after which the mob dragged him out of the factory, brutally beat him and killed him before setting the body on fire.
Kumara was working as a general manager in the Rajko industries (dealing in garments sportswear) in Sialkot district for the last seven years.
The incident sparked outrage across Pakistan with all sections of society condemning it and calling for the culprits to be given exemplary punishment.