New Delhi: The preliminary post-mortem of Sri Lankan national Priyantha Kumara reveals that he died of a severe blow to his head and most of his limb bones had been shattered before the body was set on fire, Samaa TV reported.
The report and additional videos that surfaced Saturday have revealed new details on the lynching. It emerged that at least one colleague tried to shield Priyanatha from the mob. The Sri Lankan national was lynched by a mob of factory workers and others on Friday over alleged blasphemy allegations. He worked as exports manager at Rajco Industries’ unit located at Wazirabad Road.
Factory employees first killed him and then dragged his body out to set it on fire. The grisly events were recorded on mobile cameras, the report added. The postmortem report reveals the final moments of Priyanatha Kumara, who had been working in the country for over a decade.
According to the report, Priyantha’s skull received multiple hits and a severe blow then went deep into his brain causing the death. The mob broke almost all of the limb bones, Samaa TV reported.
About 99 per cent of the tissues were damaged with burns and wounds. The body was burnt except for the lower legs. Following the legal formalities and post-mortem, the police have escorted the body to Lahore under security. The body will be handed over to the Sri Lankan High Commission in Islamabad.
The mob had accused Priayanatha of blasphemy after he allegedly tore down some posters of a religious outfit pasted to the factory walls. However, a police investigation Saturday revealed that Priyanatha and workers had a heated exchange over another issue, the report said.
The report says that an inspection of the Rajco Industries by foreign companies was due and the deceased had ordered the complete overhaul and maintenance of the factory machines, the report said.
According to the police, the manager and workers first got into a heated argument at 10.00 a.m. Friday that escalated to violence. It says some of the workers had been fired for dereliction. Following the dispute, the workers staged a protest in the factory and alleged that Priyanatha Kumara had committed blasphemy.
The protest suspended the traffic in the area and the crowd gradually grew larger. New videos and reports emerged Saturday suggesting that after the mob re-entered the factory following the protest on the road, Priyanatha ran to the rooftop to save his life, the report said.
Videos show that a mob surrounded him on the rooftop amid an array of solar panels. At least one colleague tried to shield Priyanatha from the mob as the Sri Lankan national clung to his legs.
