LAHORE: The maid, who had been found dead at her employer’s house in Model Town last week, was sexually assaulted, police said on Thursday.

Munaza, 25, of Vehari district, was hired by Asad Abbas of Model Town two months ago through a company.

Read: Pakistan's domestic workers caught in a dangerous cycle of violence

The woman was found unconscious at her employer’s house under mysterious circumstances on May 14. She was shifted to Jinnah Hospital by her employer and his brother, Adil Abbas, where she was declared dead.

The police shifted the body to morgue and registered a case under murder charges against Asad and Adil on the complaint of victim’s father Allah Wasaya.

Later, the police took the suspects into custody. Both denied the charges and said they had only shifted the woman to hospital after finding her unconscious in her room.

Earlier, the investigator said the police did not find any marks of torture and suspected that the woman might have been poisoned or she consumed poison to commit suicide.

The police also recovered powder from the house and sent its samples to Punjab Forensic Science Agency and waiting for its report. However, the autopsy revealed the woman was suffocated to death.

Investigation SSP Mubashir Maiken said the initial reports suggested the woman was sexually assaulted and later she was strangled. He said they were also looking for the driver who might be involved in the case and would arrest him soon.

Published in Dawn, May 19th, 2017