LAHORE: Police claimed on Wednesday to have arrested a man who allegedly tortured his wife and shaved her head off when “she refused to dance before his friends”.

The incident occurred on March 24 and police registered a case late on Tuesday after arresting the man three days after the video footage of the woman went viral on social media and news channels.

Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Khan Afridi directed IGP Amjad Javed Saleemi to take action and arrest the perpetrators behind this inhuman act.

A team of the investigation police raided suspect Mian Faisal’s house in Defence Housing Authority at noon and arrested him along with his employee Rashid.

The woman, Asma Azizi, who made her appearance before the media, alleged that her husband would invite his friends at home and force her to dance to amuse them. She said she married Faisal four years ago and he turned hostile and started misbehaving and torturing her over petty issues after six months.

She said Faisal as usual forced her to do “immoral act” on March 24 when he invited his friends to home. On her refusal, she said, her husband beat her with a plastic pipe and then shaved her head off with the support of employee Rashid Ali.

When she visited the police station, she alleged, officials delayed action which further increased her agony. In utter disappointment, she filmed a video statement of her ordeal on her mobile phone and uploaded it on social media to attract public attention, Asma said.

Model Town SP (Operations) Ali Waseem, however, denied her allegation of delayed action by police. He said as soon as she visited the Kahna police station, the SHO dispatched a team to her home which was locked from outside. He said the DHA admin had stopped police from entering the home and asked them to revisit once the head of the family returns.

On Tuesday, police registered a case against her husband and employee, he said.

Model Town Investigation SP Dr Anoosh Masood Chaudhry said neither Asma visited the police station nor did she join investigation after the registration of the case. She said police were awaiting her appearance before the investigation officer.

She would be taken to the hospital for medical examination once she visits the police station, she said.

The SP said Mian Faisal denied allegations of forcing her to dance in front of his friends and said his wife was distorting facts to gain sympathies.

Published in Dawn, March 28th, 2019