LAHORE, April 16: Neighbours and relatives of expatriate Abdul Basit, who allegedly died in Baghbanpura police custody on Tuesday, blocked the G.T. Road on Wednesday for several hours and beat up a few policemen to protest against the delay in the arrest of three policemen accused of torturing Basit to death.

DIG (investigation) Chaudhry Tasadduq Hussian told Dawn that teams had been sent to arrest the accused, including a sub-inspector.

Capital City Police Officer Malik Muhammad Iqbal and other senior police officers rushed to the spot after they were informed about the violence. Some angry people set an official and a private motorbike on fire.

The protesters also beat and injured some policemen, who were later rescued by the locals.

Basit was arrested by police on charges of possessing drugs.

Police high-ups held a series of negotiations with the protesters and managed to pacify them on an assurance that the accused policemen would be arrested soon.

The called off their protest till 9am on Thursday.

A police official claimed that Basit was brought to the lock-up in poor health and the officials should have shifted him to hospital.

The victim’s brother, Abdul Mateen, told newsmen that Baghbanpura SHO Sajjad Hussain Goraya had arrested Basit on a complaint by a robber whose attempt to commit dacoity at his house had been failed by Basit.

Basit managed to capture the robber and his accomplice with the help of other family members and handed them over to police and lodged a case against robbers.

Mr Mateen said police had registered a bogus case of drug possession.

The victim was laid to rest on Wednesday.

Capital City Police Officer Malik Muhammad Iqbal has suspended Baghbanpura Station House Officer Sajjad Hussain Goraya and inspector Abdul Rehman on charges of gross misconduct, sheer negligence and lack of supervision which resulted in the death of Abdul Basit in the lockup of Baghbanpura police station.

A case under section 302 of the PPC had already been registered against sub-inspector Iqbal and constables Ali Raza and Shahzad Hussain.