SAHIWAL: A landlord tortured and sexually abused his four workers with bamboo sticks over a minor dispute at Chak 6/11-L in the Harappa police area.

Muhammad Yousaf and his family have been farm workers at Imran Bhullar`s farmhouse for the last two years. His family, including daughter-in-law Sumera, wife Nasreen Bibi, and son Umer Daraz, also lived at the farmhouse.

On Wednesday night, Imran asked Sumera to milk a cow but she refused, saying it was not her job. This infuriated Imran and he physically abused the girl. At this, her family left the farmhouse and moved to their relatives` house in the same village.

Imran, along with his seven armed men, abducted Yousaf, his two sons, Umer Daraz and Umer Hayat, and his cousin and brought them to his farmhouse. Helocked them in a room and tortured them with sticks and bamboo. He burnt their backs and asked his men to insert sticks into sexual parts of the workers.

The police received a call on emergency line, 15, at midnight and rescued the workers. The police confirmed four victims were naked when they were recovered.

District Police Officer Faisal Shahzad told Dawn the police had arrested five persons but the main accused, Imran Bhullar, and seven others managed to escape.

Saddar DSP Taqi Abbas said a medical report from the Rural Health Centre, Harappa, confirmed torture of the workers.

The victims were shifted to the hospital for treatment.

He said an FIR had been registered against 12 nominated people, including Imran Bhullar, Subhan Cheema, Jahangir, Muhammad Waqar, and Rahmatullah and Talha.

Fifteen suspects were unidentified.