A civil judge’s wife, Somia Asim, was arrested from the court premises on Monday after a district and sessions court rejected her bail plea in the maid torture case and ordered the police to take her into custody.

“Arrest the suspect immediately,” Islamabad DIG Shahzada Bukhari said as he ordered his men to not allow her to go anywhere.

The development came after the trial court judge Farrukh Fareed rejected the bail plea of the accused. Somia is accused of beating and torturing her 13-year-old maid.

Politicians and experts have expressed their concerns over the trial of the suspect. Federal and provincial ministers have called for justice in the case.

The civil judge’s wife, who according to some media reports is suffering from mental illness, was arrested 20 days after registration of the first information report.

Read: Maid torture case: Doctors reveal Rizwana was poisoned

The complaint, filed by the victim’s father Manga Khan, invoked sections 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), 342 (punishment for wrongful confinement), and 328-A (cruelty to child) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

Judge Fareed Baloch ordered that the suspect should be taken out of the court as it was “difficult for him”. Somia is the wife of one of his colleagues. “But when it comes to justice, I have to do justice.”

Judge Fareed Baloch ordered that the suspect should be taken out of the court as it was “difficult for him”. Somia is the wife of one of his colleagues. “But when it comes to justice, I have to do justice.”

Read: Maid torture case: Maryam calls for punishment regardless of culprit’s position

The suspect had appeared after the culmination of her seven days bail. She was granted bail after submitting Rs100,000 worth of surety bonds on August 1 to the court.

On Monday, her lawyer told the district and sessions court she had handed over the minor girl safely to her mother.

The court inquired from Somia’s lawyer where is the record of the case against the accused. The counsel replied that his client appeared before the joint investigation team and expressed her “innocence”.

The lawyer added that the police wrote in the record that the accused did not torture the maid and Somia “repeatedly asked to send the maid back”.

He informed the court that the accused safely handed over the girl to her mother. The JIT has summoned the victim’s mother and the driver this afternoon, he said and urged the court to wait until evening as the investigation would be completed by then.

The court remarked that it was not possible to postpone the case till the report is received.

Read: Maid torture case: Doctors say Rizwana’s health showing signs of recovery

The lawyer of the accused presented a USB, containing a video, before the court. After watching the video, the judge inquired whether the girl was sitting in the front seat. To which, the lawyer replied in affirmative.

He added that it was a “big statement” that a judge’s wife pushed Rizwana, although it was “nothing like that”.

The court remarked that it has to look at the FIR and not the media.

The plaintiff’s lawyer Waqas Ahmed pleaded before the court to dismiss the bail application of the accused.

He said if the courts give bail to any woman who commits any crime, then all the criminals will do the same and they will use women to commit crimes and get away with it.

He stated that the victim’s parents were accused of blackmailing the judge’s wife, while the truth is that the girl’s parents were contacted and offered money.

He said that the girl was tortured not once but several times. The civil judge and his wife should have known that it is a crime to keep an underaged maid, he added.

Ahmed said in the arguments that Rizwana received 14 injuries including injuries on the right, left and back of her head, while she also sustained injuries on her eyes, cheeks, lips and back.

Later, the court rejected the bail petition and ordered the suspect’s arrest.

On Sunday, Somia denied before the special investigation team any wrongdoing. The special JIT has sought a written response from the accused.

In her statement, she alleged that the victim did not work and her parents were sent Rs60,000 as aid from the Easypaisa account of the suspect’s husband. She also denied charges related to torturing Rizwana who was apparently allergic.