Sargodha Police File Charges Against 44 for Mob Attack on Christian Man

News Desk

Police have charged 44 individuals in connection with a violent mob attack against a Christian man accused of desecrating the Holy Quran in Mujahid Colony. The police rescued the man and two Christian families from an enraged mob on Saturday.

The incident began when residents found burned Holy Quran pages near an electric pole and the homes of Christian families. The first information report (FIR), filed shortly after the incident, cites multiple sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) including Section 324 (attempted murder), 186 (obstructing public officials), 353 (assaulting a public official), 436 (mischief by fire or explosive material with intent to destroy a house), 440 (mischief by fire or explosive material with intent to cause death or hurt), and 149 (unlawful assembly). The FIR also includes charges under Sections 7 (acts of terrorism) and 11WW (lynching) of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) 1997.

According to the FIR filed by Station House Officer (SHO) Shahid Iqbal, a crowd armed with sticks, stones, and other weapons gathered outside the victim’s house. Despite efforts by the police, the Sargodha Peace Committee, and other residents to calm the mob, which grew to between 300 and 400 people, the situation escalated.

The FIR alleges that the mob set a nearby shoe factory on fire and attempted to enter the victim’s house from adjacent rooftops. They also reportedly destroyed electricity meters and outdoor air conditioning units before setting them on fire.

Police officers managed to rescue the man from the burning house, but as they brought him outside, the mob attacked, throwing stones and beating them with sticks, severely injuring the Christian man. The FIR also notes that women in the crowd were inciting violence.

Rizwan Younus Gill, a nephew of the accused man, in an interview with Dawn News, stated that his uncle was in stable condition.

He also mentioned that a few days prior, an activist of a hardliner religious party had a confrontation with his cousins, which had been resolved through negotiation. Gill denied the allegations of desecration.