FAISALABAD: Employees and owners of a soft drink manufacturing unit on Tuesday held hostage the city assistant commissioner (city)andhisteamduringaraidinSindhpura locality and subjected them to torture.

AC Shahrukh Niazi, his subordinates and police also thrashed the troublemakers.

A team led by Mr Niazi raided the factory along with the officials of health and environment departments, as part of a campaign against food adulteration.

The factory owners and their employees not only put up resistance to the raiding team but also took its members and the AChostage and subjected them to torture.

As the factory was being run in a residential area, some of the occupants of nearby houses, including women, pelted the raiding team with stones, leaving two police constables injured.

As the situation turned ugly, the AC, who had to physically handle some of the troublemakers, called more police.

Sources said the factory owner and his men first managed to free four detained workers and then thrashed the AC and his subordinates.

District administration has sealed the factory and handed over two owners of the factory to Ghulam Mohammadabad police.

Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, taking notice of the incident, has sought a report from City Police Officer Afzaal Kausar and directed him to ensure arrest of all attackers.

DCO Noorul Ameen said the operation against the mafia involved in food adulteration would continue till the elimination of the menace.

He said strict action would be taken against the people who had attacked a team.

The CPO said police raids were being conducted to nab the remaining suspects.