A Christian man who had been severely injured in a mob attack late last month in Sargodha, passed away in a Rawalpindi hospital on Monday, as confirmed by a relative.
The man was rescued by Sargodha police on May 25 from a lynch mob incited by allegations of desecration. The incident, which took place in Mujahid Colony, saw the mob not only assaulting the victim but also attacking the homes of other members of the minority community. The frenzied crowd assaulted the man with kicks, fists, and stones, and set a shoe shop owned by his family on fire. They also attempted to break into their home, causing significant damage to the walls and doors.
Following the incident, authorities registered a terrorism case against 44 named suspects and between 300 and 400 unidentified individuals, leading to over 100 arrests. Simultaneously, a blasphemy case was also filed against the injured Christian man.
A nephew of the victim had previously refuted the desecration allegations, emphasising his uncle’s innocence. After the police intervention on the day of the attack, the injured man was initially taken to a military hospital where he was reported to be in stable condition. Despite social media rumours about the deaths of the man and his son, the nephew had clarified that his uncle was alive and had been transferred to another hospital for further treatment.
However, as reported today by another nephew, the victim succumbed to his injuries and passed away in a Rawalpindi hospital. The family is now in the process of transferring his body back to Sargodha for the funeral, which is expected to take place this afternoon.