DADU: A woman, said to be a beggar, accompanying her five-year-old son, was subjected to brutal torture by a group of people on suspicion of theft in the Ward-3 area of Johi town in Dadu district on Monday.

She was handed over to the women police, who interrogated and frisked her to establish that she was innocent.

It later transpired that the woman had knocked at the door of a house, belonging to Asghar Ghori, to seek alms but the inmates, who were busy searching for some lost jewellery, suspected that she might have stolen it.

Without having any incriminating evidence, the inmates along with some other residents of the neighbourhood grabbed her and trussed up her hands and legs while continuously slapping and beating her.

Nobody, including a couple of policemen who happened to be there, came to her rescue. She was repeatedly pulled by her hair to force her to return the jewellery.

The woman identified herself as Asma Leghari when she was handed over to the women police along with her son. The women police frisked her but found nothing in her possession.

SHO Benazir Jamali said that it all happened just on suspicion.

Meanwhile, Dadu SSP retired Captain Raza Hyder suspended ASI Rehmat Ali for failing to protect and rescue the woman from the mob. Later, the Sindh IG ordered an inquiry into the matter and asked the SSP to submit a report.

Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2019