Punjab Police on Tuesday claimed to have arrested 10 more prime suspects during the investigation of the Khanewal incident, bringing the tally to 31.

So far 112 people – including 31 prime suspects – have been arrested, police said in a tweet. The suspects were to be presented at the Anti-Terrorism Court in Multan on Tuesday.

Initially, police had arrested 62 suspects after videos of the horrific incident went viral on social media. Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar had also taken notice of the incident and directed police to arrest the culprits and take strict action.

Later, the tally of arrested suspects increased to 85 as police continued secret search operations and traced the suspects via video clips.

Prime Minister Imran Khan had also taken notice of the incident and vowed to counter mob lynching with “full severity of law” in the country.

“We have zero tolerance for anyone taking the law into their own hands & mob lynchings will be dealt with full severity of the law. Have asked Punjab IG for report on action taken against perpetrators of the lynching in MIan Channu & against the police who failed in their duty,” PM Imran had said in a tweet.

According to the FIR, which was shared by CM Punjab Updates Twitter account, the case registered under Sections 148 (rioting, armed with deadly weapon), 149 (unlawful assembly of people), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 302 (intentional murder) and 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

Khanewal incident

A charged mob on Saturday lynched a man over alleged desecration of the Holy Quran in Khanewal district of Punjab’s remote village, three months after a Sri Lankan manager was lynched by factory workers on blasphemy accusations.

According to Dawn, “The Saturday’s horrific incident took place in Jungle Dera village of the Khanewal district where hundreds of loc­als gathered after Magh­rib pra­yers following annou­n­cements that a middle-aged man had torn some pages of the Holy Quran and later set them on fire.”

It read that the mob did not listen to the suspect, who rep­orte­dly claimed innocence. “The villagers first tied him to a tree and then hit him with bricks, until he died,” it read.

An eyewitness said that a police team reached the village “well before” the incident took place and arrested the victim but the mob snatched him from the SHO’s custody.

Reacting to the incident, Buzdar sought a report from IGP Rao Sardar Ali Khan. “Strict legal action should be taken against those involved in the tragic incident by bringing them to justice,” he said in a statement shared by the Government of Punjab on Twitter.