An enraged mob in Nankana Sahib stormed a police station Saturday, grabbed a detainee facing blasphemy charges and lynched him. Police officials said the victim, identified as Muhammad Waris, had been taken into custody for allegedly desecrating Holy Quran. They said news of the alleged crime outraged residents and hundreds of them later surrounded the police station, demanding the accused be handed over to them. Overwhelmed by the large crowd, police officers fled the facility. Protesters grabbed the man and dragged him out to the street where they beat him to death. A police spokesperson later told reporters that police reinforcements were able to prevent the mob from setting the body on fire. According to reports, the victim was accused of allegedly desecrating the Holy Quran and locals claimed the victim was involved in ‘witchcraft’. Following the accusation, he was handed over to the local police force, however, a mob later formed at the police station after news of the incident spread in the area. The mob demanded the police hand over the accused. In videos that surfaced on social media, the mob can be seen scaling the large gates of the Warburton Police Station, forcing it open, after which the crowd entered the building. The mob then searched the police station for the victime, found and killed him, and then dragged the body naked through the streets as more people threw sticks and stones at the body. As the mob was lynching the man, Station House Officer (SHO) Warburton Feroze Bhatti and other police personnel escaped the scene to save their lives. Residents of the area claimed that the man – who had returned after spending two years in jail – used to practice witchcraft by pasting his ex-wife’s picture on holy papers. “The mob stormed the police station and beat the man to death,” local police spokesman Waqas Khalid told AFP. “After killing him they tried to set his body ablaze,” he added. Khalid said authorities were working on identifying the attackers responsible for the man’s death. Taking notice of the incident, Punjab Inspector-General Dr Usman Anwar suspended the SHO and Nankana Sahib Circle Deputy Superintendent of Police Nawaz Waraq for their failure in preventing the situation from turning violent. Strict departmental and legal action will be taken against those responsible for the incident and the perpetrators of negligence, a statement posted by the Punjab police on Twitter read. A first information report about the incident has not been registered as of yet.