BAHAWALNAGAR: Police have booked a couple and three others for allegedly torturing and poisoning a man to death for asking them to return an amount he had lent them some time back at Minchinabad.

The police said that a rickshaw driver, Asif of Behkan Bodla village, had saved about Rs300,000 to buy another rickshaw. His friend Riaz of Mauza Badri, Narainpura, came to know about the amount saved by Asif and borrowed it, promising to return the money soon.

Police said that on the eve of July 17, Asif left home to collect money from Riaz. However, when Asif did not return till late in the night, his family went to Riaz’s house, finding the formerin a critical condition.

Police said, quoting Asif’s family, that Riaz, his wife and their three accomplices allegedly tortured the victim and forced him to take a poisonous drink for demanding the money back. Asif’s condition deteriorated and he died, they said.

Minchinabad police registered a case against the suspects under sections 302, 337, 148 and 149 of the PPC on the complaint of the victim’s father and started investigations.

No arrest has been made so far in the case.

ROOF COLLAPSE: Five members of a family, including a minor girl, were seriously injured when the roof of their house caved in due to rain in Minchinabad on Sunday.

Rescue 1122 said Halima Bibi (50) was asleep in a room along with other members when the roof suddenly collapsed. Halima, along with four other members of the family, was seriously injured in the incident.

Rescue 1122 teams reached the scene, rescued the persons and shifted them to the THQ hospital,where they were being treated.

The injured were identified as Urwa (3), Tanzeel (17), Saima (25), Nasir (30) and Halima (50).

Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2025