A man was lynched by fellow villagers in Khanewal district over suspicion of being a thief, DawnNewsTV reported on Wednesday.

A video footage of the incident obtained by DawnNewsTV shows a group of villagers attacking Liaqat Ali with sticks and axes. The incident took place in the jurisdiction of Chab Kalan police station in Khanewal district.

Police claimed that the victim was accused of committing a robbery which enraged the villagers that led to his lynching.

Following the incident — which occurred on June 3 — police registered a first information report (FIR) against the victim over his alleged involvement in a robbery which led to protests by the deceased's family and residents.

Ali's family rejected the accusations of him being a dacoit and claimed that he had been killed due to personal disputes.

According to the victim's father, Ali had been accused of stealing a goat last year after which he had served a prison sentence of two months. He alleged that some villagers had a dispute with Ali after which they conspired with the police and killed him.

Subsequently, the police included Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code against the villagers in a cross-version added to the FIR. Three of the alleged killers have been arrested and police are conducting raids to catch the primary suspect.

Khanewal District Police Officer Rizwan Gondal assured that a "transparent investigation" of the case will be conducted.

Man kills neighbour for sitting under a tree

In a separate incident, a man from a village in Kabirwala tehsil in Khanewal district shot his neighbour, resulting in his death, after they had a dispute over sitting under a tree in summer.

The victim's body was sent to Tehsil Head Quarter Hospital, Kabirwala for a post-mortem by the police and a case was registered.