FAISALABAD, Nov 29: The Tandlianwala city police have subjected a woman suspected to be part of a gang to inhuman treatment in custody.

A chemical examination report has revealed that the police interrogators inserted chilies in her private parts.

Sources told Dawn that Warda Bibi, wife of Gulab, was arrested by the Tandlianwala city police on the allegation of committing robbery at the residence of an MPA’s employee. Six other women were also nominated in the case the police had registered on Sept 27, 2011 on “political pressure”.

Sources said the policemen were initially reluctant to register a robbery case. The applicant nominated 10 people including seven women -- Warda, Maryam, Ashe, Khebo, Sahiban, Miran and Nayyan.

Sources said Warda was a beggar and entered the residence, where she had an exchange of word with the owners who handed her over to the police on robbery charge.

An official at the Tandlianwala city police station said Warda was a member of a swindlers’ gang. He said the gang had been implicated in some other cases of adjacent police stations.

Admitting that nothing was recovered from her during the course of investigation, the policeman denied torture. The victim, he said, had managed to get a report of torture to pressurise the police to drop the case.

After securing bail, Warda is missing and even her lawyer, Hussnain Sherazi, also claims having no information about her whereabouts. Sherazi said after being implicated in the case, Warda and the families of other suspects had secured bails on the basis of surety bonds some people had offered.

Swabs of the woman were sent in October 2011, and confirmation of third-degree torture had been reported after eight months.

This correspondent made efforts to trace the woman but to no avail.

A police officer, sharing his view on the request of anonymity, said the police usually refused to register cases in case of nomination of suspects in a robbery case to prevent false implication.

Dr Khurram Sohail Raja, district medico-legal officer, told Dawn that he had conducted the initial medical examination of the woman and found signs of torture. He said swabs were sent when she complained of insertion of chilies in her private parts. And the report confirmed her claim, he said.

Dr Raja said none of the family members had approached him to get chemical examination report.

The case investigation officer, Mansha told Dawn that he had not tortured the woman and she might have been maltreated during her detention at the Women Police Station.

He also denied political pressure behind registration of the case. He said the woman had been missing since Eidul Fitr.