CHAKWAL: A man allegedly tortured his wife to death by beating her with iron rods. Police, however termed the death suicide, sources told Dawn.

The incident occurred on Sunday night in Amirpur Mangan village located in the area of Dhudial police station.

Media coordinator of Rescue 1122 issued a statement to the media late Sunday night in which it quoted the woman’s ten-year-old son as saying that his mother and father used to quarrel over petty disputes.

He said on Sunday both had a physical fight during which his father beat her with an iron rod which led to her death, the media coordinator said while quoting her son.

However, the incident took another turn on Monday as police did not bother to register any case rather it termed the incident as suicide.

“The woman was about to eat sleeping pills when her husband noticed and stopped her from taking pills which led to a quarrel. At this the husband left the house along with two sons and a daughter, leaving the elder son behind,” Investigating Officer Mohammad Aslam claimed while talking to Dawn.

He added that after the man left the house the woman took sleeping pills which resulted in her death.

However, a doctor at District Headquarters Hospital Chakwal who performed autopsy on her told Dawn condition of anonymity that there were clear torture marks on her body. “Blue coloured bruises were found on her body, which are testimony to the fact that the deceased was tortured,” the doctor said. He, however, said forensic examination will ascertain the actual cause of the death.

When contacted, DPO Mohammad Bin Ashraf said the matter would be investigated. “I have ordered a thorough investigation,” he said.

Published in Dawn, March 24th, 2021