Punjab IGP Abdul Karim says forensic findings linked the deaths of Amina and Anmol to combined drug toxicity, while a magisterial inquiry found no evidence of police torture.
WEB DESK: Punjab Inspector General of Police Abdul Karim has said forensic testing detected nine different drugs in samples taken from two women who died while in police custody in Lahore’s Township area.
Speaking at a press conference at the Central Police Office in Lahore, Karim said a medical board concluded that both women, identified as Amina and Anmol, died from cardiopulmonary arrest caused by combined drug toxicity.
Forensic report detects nine drugs
According to the final forensic report, samples collected from both women contained nine different types of drugs.
The Punjab IGP said the medical board found that the combination of drugs caused toxicity that resulted in cardiopulmonary arrest.
The Punjab Forensic Science Authority (PFSA) collected the forensic samples and subsequently submitted its report, according to the police chief.
Inquiry finds no evidence of torture
Karim said the medical examination found no evidence of physical torture, external injuries or wounds on the women’s bodies.
He also said a magisterial inquiry conducted under Section 176 of the Code of Criminal Procedure found no evidence of police torture.
The findings were presented by police as evidence that the deaths were caused by drug toxicity rather than physical violence in custody.
Injection marks found on women’s arms
The IGP said initial observations by the medical board showed multiple injection marks on the women’s arms.
According to the investigation, the marks were consistent with repeated injections.
Both women had been brought to Township police station following police action on a 15 emergency call, the IGP said.
Karim also said both women had previous cases registered against them in Lahore and Gujrat involving alleged fraud and deception.
Police say investigation completed transparently
The Punjab police chief said the investigation into the two deaths had been completed transparently.
The findings were presented at a press conference attended by Lahore CCPO Bilal Siddique and DIG Investigation Syed Zeeshan Raza.
The case remains significant because the deaths occurred while the two women were in police custody, making the circumstances surrounding their deaths a matter of public concern.
Separate Ghaziabad police case
During the same press conference, Karim also gave an update on an alleged rape case at Ghaziabad police station.
He said police had arrested an assistant sub-inspector identified as Imran and suspended personnel found responsible for negligence. Departmental inquiries have also been initiated, he said.
The IGP said a Punjab Forensic Science Authority report found that the DNA profile of the accused officer did not match the samples obtained from the alleged victim.
He said the investigation would continue on merit and that the accused would be dealt with according to law.
Progress reported in Hina Javed murder case
Karim also provided an update on the murder investigation involving Hina Javed in Rawalpindi.
He said three suspects had been nominated in the FIR and two had been arrested.
Police initially treated Hina’s death as a suicide, but later registered a murder case following the investigation, according to the IGP.
The two arrested suspects were identified in the report as her husband Faisal Asghar and domestic worker Zeeshan, who were sent on physical remand for further investigation.
Other cases under investigation
The Punjab IGP said investigations were also continuing into the murder of Abdullah Tahir, with police pursuing suspects who allegedly fled to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He also reported progress in a case involving the killing of two police personnel in Lahore’s Badami Bagh area.
Karim further clarified that the Dolphin Force was not being abolished. Instead, he said, it was being reorganised, with control being transferred to relevant station house officers to improve its performance.
What happens next?
The forensic and medical findings provide the police version of the circumstances surrounding the two deaths.
Any further judicial, administrative or independent scrutiny could determine whether additional questions arise regarding how the women came into possession of the drugs and what happened during their detention.
For now, Punjab Police says the medical board and magisterial inquiry found no evidence of physical torture, while forensic testing identified nine drugs in samples from both women.
