Five men have been arrested for the assault of Allama Nasir Madni in Punjab’s Kharian.

The religious scholar and preacher was abducted and beaten up on March 16 in Gujarat’s Kharian. In his FIR filed at Lahore’s Mozang police station, Allama Madni accused the men of luring him to their restaurant after calling him on WhatsApp from a UK phone number.

He said a man named Rizwan alias Mallah Gujjar called him to Kharian to lead the prayers at an event. He arrived at the restaurant where they invited him and his driver to dinner. The suspect then said he would like to take him home to meet his mother.

Allama Madni said they instead took him to a dera where around 10 masked men stripped him, beat him with sticks and pipes and filmed the whole thing. They also forced him to sign on two blank pieces of paper, according to the FIR. They also stole whatever money he had on him.

He said they also demanded he give them the passwords to his social media accounts and YouTube account. Allama Madni said the men threatened to kill him if he approached the police or media.

Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has taken notice of the incident.

The case has been registered under sections 365 (kidnapping or abducting with intent secretly and wrongfully to confine person) and 392 (robbery) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 18 of the Motion Pictures Ordinance.

Allama Madni is a popular scholar. He regularly makes YouTube videos.