April 9, 2003	Wednesday	Safar 6, 1424

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RAWALPINDI, April 8: The civil judge and judicial magistrate, Hasnain Qadir Ghillo, on Tuesday granted interim bails to four persons who were booked by the New Town police for substandard constructions.

The accused were booked by the police after the collapse of a multi-storey plaza in Commercial Market on Friday last.

The court accepted interim bail plea of the owner of the China Shopping Centre, Agha Gul; owner of the Fateh Tower, Mirza Zahid Baig and his two partners Mirza Talib Baig and Mirza Shafique Baig.

The latter also told the court that they were not owners of the building and that the real owners of the plaza, Mirza Abid Baig and Mirza Sajid Baig, were living in the United States. They pleaded that they should be granted bail and the court should issue summon notice to the real owners.

Police had registered an FIR against all the accused for using substandard materials in their buildings and threatening the building inspectors of the Tehsil Municipal Administration with dire consequences during the survey to detect other faulty buildings in the city after the collapse of Bano Arcade.

The additional district and sessions judge, Sanaullah Malik, had already granted interim bails to the owners of the collapsed Bano Arcade, Shaikh Anwar and Shaikh Aqeel, on Monday.