BAHAWALNAGAR: Madrassah police on Wednesday booked a man on charges of torturing and poisoning his wife to death in connivance with his family at Ganga Singh village.

According to the police, Ghulam Murtaza had contracted marriage with Shumaila of Faridkot 10 years ago and the couple had three sons. They said Murtaza, a labourer, would often quarrel with his wife Shumaila over petty issues and subject her to torture.

The first information report registered on the complaint of the victim’s father under section 302 and 34 of PPC said Murtaza on Wednesday again thrashed Shumaila and forced her to swallow poison (Kala Pathar) in connivance with his mother Sughran Bibi. It said she breathed her last on way to the Bahawalnagar DHQ Hospital.

LIQUOR SEIZED: The A-Division police arrested a suspected drug peddler and seized 377 bottles of smuggled liquor from a car.

According to police spokesman Syed Wahaj Shah, a team led by Station House Officer Saifullah [on a tip-off] stopped a car at the Fordwah Bridge on Arifwala Road and recovered bottles of liquor from it.

Mr Wahaj said car driver Javed Masih of Lahore was arrested and sent behind bars after registration of a case against him. He said during investigation, the suspect confessed to supplying liquor across Punjab, including Bahawalnagar, for a long time.

Published in Dawn, August 19th, 2021