Angry mob lynches 2 men after child abduction rumours in Karachi's Machhar Colony

• Locals say men were trying to abduct children.
• Both men succumbed to injuries right away.
• SSP Kiamari says incident being probed.

KARACHI: Two men were tortured and lynched by an angry mob in Karachi's Machhar Colony following child abduction rumours being linked to them.

After arriving at the crime scene, the police were informed by locals that the two men were trying to kidnap children. After being caught red-handed, they were lynched by the people after being severely tortured. Police said that both men succumbed to their injuries on the spot.

The deputy inspector-general (DIG South), meanwhile, has taken notice of the lynching and has sought a report regarding the matter from Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kiamari Fida Hussain Janwari.

According to the SSP Kiamari, both men were employees of a telecommunication company.

“All aspects of the incident are being investigated,” he said, adding that all those involved in the incident would be dealt with according to the law.

Arrests and raids underway

According to SSP Kiamari, three people have been arrested for lynching the two men earlier today.

The key accused in the case has been identified as Abdul Ghafoor, the police said, adding that a total of nine people were identified to have tortured both Aiman and Saeed.

“The accused Abdul Ghafoor has been arrested,” police told journalists, adding that they were conducting raids to arrest the other suspects.

The development in the case came after families of the lynching victims filed a first information report (FIR) against the perpetrators. The SSP said that anti-terrorism sections would be added to the case.

Families of slain men demand justice

Speaking to journalists at the Civil Hospital’s Trauma Centre, Arif — the cousin brother of one of the lynched men Aiman Javed — said that the victim was the youngest among his four siblings and graduated with an engineering degree from Sindh University.

“He was working at a telecom company and belonged to Thatta. He was to get married after some time,” Arif said, adding that Aiman would travel to Thatta to meet his family every week and was temporarily residing in North Karachi.

“Aiman went to Machhar Colony with the driver. When they stopped their vehicle to ask for directions from a child, locals mistook them for kidnappers,” the victim’s cousin said.

Arif demanded the government conduct a free and fair investigation into his cousin’s killing and sought justice.

Meanwhile, the uncle of the other lynched man Saeed Ishaq Panwhar also spoke to the media and revealed that he was employed as a driver at the telecom company for the last four to five months.

“The victims had two daughters and a son, while one of his daughters was born recently. Ishaq belonged to Naushahro Feroze and came to Karachi for work,” the uncle told journalists.

According to the police, the bodies of both the slain men have been shifted from the Civil Hospital to a mortuary at Shahrah-e-Faisal. The bodies will be taken to their native areas for burial tomorrow.