FAISALABAD, Dec 1: Gulberg police allegedly tortured on Saturday a woman and hanged her from a ceiling by tying her arms for stealing Rs5,000 about nine months ago.

A man identified as Abdullah took Rukaya, wife of Akbar of Baowala, to Gulberg police station on Saturday and alleged that she had stolen Rs5,000 from his house some nine months ago. He said he had employed Rukaya as maid and she took away Rs5,000 from his house.

Abdullah went away, leaving the woman at police station.

The victim woman told Dawn ASIs Ghulam Murtaza, Noor Mohammad, and Aslam, a retired head constable, had taken her to a room of the police station, hanged her from a ceiling hook and tortured her. The woman was finding it difficult to walk because of torture. She said the policemen forced her to confess robberies. “I refused to confess crimes. I had stolen Rs5,000 from Abdullah’s house because of a domestic problem.”

She said the officials asked her to call her husband to police station and go with him after giving bribe.

She alleged that the policemen received Rs3,500 paid by her husband and allowed her to go. She said the policemen did not allow her husband to go and asked him to stay ‘till further orders.’

On being informed of the incident, Lyallpur Town SP Zahid Gondal initiated a probe into the case.

Sources said after inquiry policemen searched the frightened woman with the help of her husband Akbar who was in the police detention.

The police took Akbar to his home to persuade his wife to visit police station to identify the accused.

They said the woman identified Noor.

Talking to Dawn, the SP said the three accused policemen had been suspended from service and put behind the bars. He said medical of Rukaya would be conducted today (Sunday). — Staff Correspondent