KARACHI, May 20: An anti-terrorism court ordered on Thursday release of a worker of the banned Harkatul Mujahideen Al-Aalmi in a case pertaining to a hand-grenade attack on a rangers patrol.

Judge Arshad Noor Khan of the ATC-3 issued the release order of Abdur Razzak alias Bhaiyya on an application of the investigation officer, under Section 497 (2) CrPC. Two rangers personnel were injured on Oct 13, 2001, around 8.30pm when a hand-grenade was hurled on their van near Cafe Al-Hasan beneath the Liaquatabad flyover.

The suspect was arrested, with eight others in April and the police claimed that they had been involved in over 30 cases, which included some very high profile cases, such as blasts at Sheraton Hotel and US Consulate.

The police obtained remand of the accused in the rangers van attack case and showed Israrur Rehman and Saifullah as absconders. The investigation officer in his application submitted that there was no eye-witness in the case and the evidence was not enough to charge-sheet the accused.

The Section 497 (2) of the CrPC reads: "If it appears to such officer or court at any stage of the investigation, inquiry or trial, as the case may be, that there are not reasonable grounds for believing that the accused has committed a non- bailable offence, but that there are sufficient grounds for further inquiry into his guilt, the accused shall, pending such inquiry, be released on bail, or, at the discretion of such officer or court, on the execution by him of a bond without sureties for his appearance as hereinafter provided."

Accused Abdur Razzaq is also an accused in several other cases of bomb blast and grenade attacks. The trial of these cases has been assigned to other ATCs.