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.

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 marl(s 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.

GANG BUSTED: Police busted on Thursday a sixmember gang involved in printing and circulating fake bills and seized fake banknotes of different denominations from them.

Civil Division SP operations Ali Raza told newsmen they were alerted about the circulation of fake bills in the market.

He said a police team traced and arrested Usman, Sajjad, Khurrum Shahzad, Tanvir, Aamir and Safia Begum. The police also seized 20 mobile phones, four print screens, two printers, two cash counting machines, one laptop and papers from them.

The suspects also confessed to the crime.