HYDERABAD, June 21: The sixth additional district judge on Monday granted interim pre-arrest bail to former Hyderabad Development Authority director-general Ali Ahmad Lund and Sukkur Barrage chief engineer Ghulam Nabi Mughal in the sum of Rs100,000 each till June 23.

The officials had been booked on June 4 by the Market police following deaths of many people, mostly infants, in the Hyderabad district due to consumption of contaminated water of the River Indus.

Police booked these officials and former Water and Sanitation Agency managing director Kafeel Ahmad Khanzada under directives of Sindh chief secretary Dr Mutawakal Kazi.

DECLARED INNOCENT: The DSP, headquarters, Sanghar, in his re-investigation report submitted before the special judge, anti-narcotics, and the sessions judge, Sanghar, has declared a boy, nominated in two narcotics cases, innocent.

The 16-year-old boy, Benji Singh, has been challaned in the cases by the Khipro police. A relative of the boy handed over a copy of the report to Dawn on Monday which said the DSP, Raja Mohammad Nazeer, recorded statements of area residents Jetho, Sajjan Singh and Mehtab Singh, all Thakars by caste and residents of the Phullaw, village, Khipro, and the accused.

Police had arrested Benji Singh in front of a shop of Poorji Singh. The police officer said Benji's brother, Chattar Singh, had exchanged hot words with a police officer of Khipro.

He said his investigation had proved that cases against the other accused were correct whereas Benji Singh seemed to be innocent. The boy has been granted bail in both the cases lodged under sections 9-C, Narcotics Act, and 156(8), Custom Act.

A fact-finding team of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan had also established that arrest of the boy in the narcotics cases was victimization by police.

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