Police have detained 23 suspects in connection with the lynching and killing of an individual, as well as the arson attack on Madyan Police Station in Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as reported on Sunday.
According to police sources, the arrested individuals have been moved to an undisclosed location, with ongoing efforts to apprehend others allegedly involved in the incident.
The violent episode unfolded after a mob accused a local tourist of desecrating the Holy Quran on Thursday night, leading to his fatal beating and the subsequent burning of his body and the police station.
Earlier, a federal agency report indicated that the hotel management had confronted the deceased over blasphemy allegations, prompting him to open the door and deny the accusations before police took him into custody, a decision criticized in the report as a serious error.
The report highlighted the lack of guidance sought by the station house officer (SHO) and the absence of senior police officials or political leaders during the violent incident, which exacerbated the situation.
District Police Officer Syed Zaman Shah confirmed the identification of several mob participants and ongoing efforts for their arrest. Two separate FIRs have been filed against the suspects for blasphemy and damage to state property.
The suspect, reported to be a drug addict with a prior case of domestic violence, had been in police custody for approximately 40 minutes, during which he denied the allegations of blasphemy.
