Family alleges torture after two women die in Lahore police custody

LAHORE: Two women arrested by Lahore’s Township police in connection with an alleged fraud case died while in police custody under mysterious circumstances, prompting allegations of custodial torture from their families and calls for a thorough investigation.

The deceased, identified as Anmol and Amina, were relatives and had been taken into custody on August 4.

Their bodies were handed over to their families on Thursday after initial post-mortem examinations were completed, police said adding that the exact cause of death would only be established once the final post-mortem reports and forensic findings were available.

According to police, the two women were arrested after allegedly defrauding a family in Township Sector B.

Police said the women were begging in the area when they entered a house after asking for water.

Police claimed that they persuaded a girl in the house to hand over her gold earrings under the pretext of performing a spiritual ritual (dum). The family reportedly recovered the earrings before calling the police through the emergency helpline.

A case was subsequently registered against the women on fraud-related charges, police said.

However, the families disputed the police version and accused it of misleading them about the women’s whereabouts.

Relatives claimed that they were initially informed that the women had been shifted to jail. They said that they later received a call informing them that both had died in custody.

Anmol’s mother alleged that police repeatedly gave the family conflicting information before informing them of the deaths.

“They kept misleading us. First they asked us to come and meet the girls, and then they called to say they had died,” she said, demanding justice from Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.

Family members further alleged that both women had visible torture marks on their bodies.

Anmol’s husband said his wife earned a living by selling pencils and denied wrongdoing.

He claimed police had informed him that the women had been arrested in a fraud case but alleged that injuries consistent with torture were visible on the bodies.

Police, however, rejected suggestions that the cause of death had already been established.

Officials said the circumstances surrounding the deaths would be determined only after the final post-mortem examination and forensic analysis.

They added that there was a possibility the women had consumed narcotic or intoxicating substances, though they stressed that this was only a preliminary suspicion and awaited medical confirmation.

Police also claimed Amina had previously been arrested in 2023 in Gujarat district on theft allegations and belonged to Kharian, while the two women had remained in custody after their arrest on August 4.

Police further stated that the post-mortem process was delayed because no family members initially came forward to claim the bodies.

The bodies were later released to the families after the examinations were completed, and relatives transported them to Pakpattan for burial.

The deaths have raised fresh concerns over custodial safety and police procedures, with the post-mortem report expected to play a key role in determining the cause of death and whether any criminal liability arises from the incident.

Police have not yet announced whether an independent inquiry has been ordered into the custodial deaths.