![](https://i.tribune.com.pk/media/images/Sri-Lankan-man-lynching1638625870-0/Sri-Lankan-man-lynching1638625870-0.png)
A day after a Sri Lankan factory manager was brutally lynched and his body was set on fire by a mob in Sialkot over blasphemy allegations with many videos of the ghastly act going viral on social media, a new footage emerged on Saturday showing that a daring man also attempted to protect the victim.
In the latest video clip, the man who tried to protect Priyantha Kumara from the violent mob of hundreds is said to be his colleague.
The incident took place on Friday when hundreds of people armed with sticks and batons tortured the foreign national to death and later set his body on fire on Wazirabad Road in Punjab’s Sialkot district.
According to a local daily, which obtained the footage, the victim, who fled to the roof of the factory before being lynched, was being shielded by his colleague while the angry crowd was chanting blasphemy slogans.
The saviour also begged the enraged crowd to spare the life of his colleague before being overpowered by the self-proclaimed vigilantes, as many in the mob made no attempt to hide their identity and some took selfies in front of the burning corpse to glorify their inhuman act.
Also read: PM assures Sri Lankan president of justice in Sialkot lynching
Malik Naseem Awan, a resident and lawyer in Sialkot, told AFP he was worried about the impact this incident would have on the country’s image.
“I can’t tell you how embarrassed I am. It would have been different if someone had done this individually but the crowd present there was watching it silently,” he said.
Almost all the political and religious parties condemned the incident including the army chief.
A senior Pakistan official told AFP that Islamabad had been in touch with Sri Lankan diplomats over the incident “and have assured them that all those involved in the heinous crime will be brought to justice”.
Rights groups say accusations of blasphemy can often be wielded to settle personal vendettas, with minorities largely the target.