PESHAWAR, Nov 2: A local court on Friday directed police to provide protection to a woman who accused her husband and in-laws of forcing her into prostitution.

The woman, Ms Noreen, appeared in the court on Friday.

She was severely beaten by in-laws, including her mother-in-law, when she came out of the court.

Witnesses said that she rushed back to the courtroom and raised hue and cry requesting the judge to take action.

The judicial magistrate, Abdul Hassan Mohmand, ordered officials of the Pahari Pura police to provide protection to the woman. On her complaint the husband was arrested a few days ago.

He was granted bail by the court on condition of furnishing two sureties of Rs100,000.

As the accused, Jan Alam, lacked guarantors, he has to stay in prison.

The woman said that she was married to Mr Alam about three years ago and had a one-and-a-half-year-old daughter Samia.

The woman said that her husband and in-laws had been treating her harshly and also forcing her into prostitution.

She claimed that she resisted their attempts due to which she was subjected to torture on various occasions.

The aggrieved woman told the journalists that once she was administered mouse-killing poison and she had to remain in the hospital for several days. Ms Noreen said that she was tired of continuous torture and lodged a complaint at the police station concerned.

On her complaint her husband was arrested under section 107 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

The woman appealed to the government and the judiciary to provide her protection as she had been facing threats from her in-laws.