August 28, 2008	Thursday	Sha'aban 25, 1429

KARACHI, Aug 27: A link judge of the special anti-corruption court, Karachi, granted on Wednesday bail to a former superintendent of the Central Prison Karachi in a corruption case.

Ex-jailer Pir Shabbir Jan Sirhandi had moved a bail application through his counsel. The judge accepted the plea and granted him bail against a surety bond of Rs200,000 after recording arguments from both sides.

On Aug 18, the court had remanded the former superintendent in jail custody for his alleged involvement in a corruption case.

Mr Sirhandi was arrested on charges of corruption and was handed over to the anti-corruption establishment on Aug 12.

According to the prosecution, Mr Sirhandi along with his associates had allegedly tortured an inmate of the central prison and extorted Rs3.5 million as a bribe from him.

Assistant jail superintendents Nazir Hussain Shah and Arbab Shakeel, head constable Maqam Din and two other policemen, the co-accused in the case, are still at large.

A case (FIR 25/08) against the police officials was registered under Section 161 (public servant taking gratification other than legal remuneration in respect of an official act) of the Pakistan Penal Code at the Anti-corruption Establishment, Karachi.

Meanwhile, Justice Syed Mahmood Alam Rizvi of the Sindh High Court granted bail to an accused against a surety bond of Rs100,000.

The accused, Syed Mohammad Waseem alias Imran, and his associates were facing charges of possessing weapons and explosive substance and allegedly planning to carry out attacks on a procession during Ashura.

The accused through his counsel, Maqbool-ur-Rehman, had move the bail application to the high court as the trial court had rejected the plea.

The prosecution said five suspected terrorists, Syed Mohammed Waseem alias Imran, Mohammed Aijaz alias Abdul Rehman, Jamil Ahmed alias Wazir Akbar, Mohammed Hamid, alias Qasim, and would-be suicide bomber Aziz Ahmed, alias Mohammed Khan, were arrested by the CID police on Jan 19 in North Karachi.

The suspects were allegedly planning to carry out suicide attacks on the processions during Ashura. Six cases (FIRs 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 10/08) were registered against the accused under Sections 324, 353/34 of the Pakistan Penal Code, 13-D of the Arms Ordinance and ¾ of the Explosive Act at the New Karachi police station.