ISLAMABAD, Dec 9: The Supreme Court on Thursday referred a police torture case to a trial court directing its settlement within three months and submission of the compliance report to the apex court.

The police also produced the suspended station house officer of Mandi Farooqabad (Sheikhupura) police station, Zafar Iqbal, before the three-member bench. He was accused of torturing a citizen for refusing to grease his palm and was arrested by the Punjab police on a suo motu notice.

District Police Officer (DPO), Sheikhupura, Shahid Iqbal told the court that Zafar Iqbal and constable Muhammad Boota had been arrested, while another accused, constable Falak Sher, was still at large.

The bench directed the DPO to arrest the absconder as early as possible and referred the case to the trial court to decide it in 90 days. The court took suo motu notice after a column in an Urdu daily highlighted the ordeal of Haji Malik Tariq Rehman, who was tortured by the police.

During the hearing, Haji Tariq Rehman, a resident of Mandi Farooqabad, told the bench that his brother, Haji Atiq, had slapped a boy for throwing a fire cracker on him. The boy's ear started bleeding and his relatives approached the police which arrested Haji Atiq.

Haji Tariq Rehman also went to the police station where he was asked to approach the aggrieved party to seek pardon, which he did. However, the police refused to release his brother and demanded bribe.

Constable Muhammad Boota was offered Rs100 as a bribe but he refused to accept it and demanded Rs2,000 which, he said, would be shared with the SHO, sub-inspector, assistant sub-inspector and head-constable.

When Haji Tariq refused to give Rs2,000, he was tortured in the presence of the SHO. The bench comprised Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Rana Bhagwandas and Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan.