LAHORE: A Lahore High Court division bench on Tuesday granted bail to Shahid Aziz alias Gullu Butt, an infamous character of Model Town incident wherein at least 11 people were killed.

Gullu Butt was caught red-handed by cameramen of news channels while smashing vehicles parked outside Minhajul Quran Secretariat.

However, counsel for the suspect argued before the court that the vehicles did not belong to workers of the Pakistan Awami Tehreek or Idara Minhajul Quran. He said the suspect had no past criminal record.

The counsel said the offense allegedly committed by the suspect was bailable and police with a mala fide intension added provisions of anti-terrorism law in the FIR.

When asked by the court, Faisal Town police investigating officer said the owners of smashed cars did not attend the investigation.

The counsel said his client was innocent and had no such bad intention but the police arrested him and registered a case against him. He asked the court to release his client on bail. The bench heard the arguments and released Butt on bail against furnishing of surety bonds of Rs200,000.

Published in Dawn, August 13th, 2014