ISLAMABAD, March 18: A three-member bench of the Supreme Court will take up for hearing on Monday the case of manhandling of the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Mr Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.

Headed by the Acting Chief Justice, Mr Justice Javed Iqbal, other members of the bench are Mr Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar and Mr Justice Mian Shakirullah Jan.

The Supreme Court has already issued notices to Inspector-General of Police, Islamabad, Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Senior Superintendent of Police, and Deputy Superintendent of Police I-9 Circle to appear before the court on March 19.

Justice Chaudhry was roughed up by police for refusing to ride an official car to attend proceedings of the Supreme Judicial Council against him on March

13. His wife and daughters were also reportedly manhandled by policemen.

Video-clippings of private TV channels and photographs in the print media showing policemen holding the chief justice by hair had added fuel to the fire in an already tense atmosphere.

The Acting Chief Justice, Mr Justice Javed Iqbal, had taken a suo motu notice of the police manhandling of the chief justice and ordered a full-fledged inquiry into the matter.

President Gen Pervez Musharraf had termed the manhandling of the chief justice by police an unfortunate incident.

The president told participants of a recently-held high-level meeting that the incident had bought a bad name to Pakistan and that Justice Chaudhry must have been treated with respect and honour, as he was still the Chief Justice of Pakistan.

He said he had not issued any directives to withdraw the chief justice's privileges.