LAHORE: Scores of residents of Sheikhupura blocked a road and lodged a protest when a woman died of alleged `physical assault` during police raid at her house for the arrest of a suspected robber.

The incident occurred at Tiba Khuda Yar near Kot Abdul Malik in the jurisdiction of Factory Area police. The deceased woman was identified as Bushra Bibi (55).

An official said the police raided a house of the woman following a 15 call about a street crime when four armed men robbed the people.

He said the police arrested two alleged criminals and raided for the arrest of other who was living in the house of Bushra Bibi. As the police overpowered the suspected robber, his family members and other locals offered resistance.

During a clash, Bushra Bibi fainted and died, he said adding that the family alleged that the police thrashed and beat up the woman which led to her death.They later gathered on the road, blocked it for traffic and lodged protest demanding action against the raiding team.

Sheikhpurua District Police Officer (DPO) Zahid Nawaz Marwat later reached the spot, negotiated with the protesters and ordered the police to lodge a case of the incident.

He told Dawn that body of the woman has been shifted to the city morgue for postmortem examination after registering first information report.

The DPO said according to the initial reports from the hospital the woman died of heart attack.

However, the police lodged the case, nominating sub-inspector Mohammad Ijaz of Factory Area police station, he said.

He said the incident occurred when the members of the family and other people attacked the police for the release of the suspected robber who was arrested for committing street crime.

Further action would be taken in light of the postmortem report, the DPO said.