KARACHI: An anti-corruption court dismissed on Wednesday the bail application of a deputy director of the education department in a graft case.

The Anti-Corruption Estab­lishment booked deputy director Pir Bux Mahesar, headmistress of a government secondary school Rizwana Mangi and others for allegedly taking a bribe from a deputy manager of the Sui Southern Gas Company to get his wife appointed in the education department.

The suspect, who was arrested last month, through his lawyer moved a bail application and after hearing arguments from both sides, special provincial anti-corruption court judge Gulshan Ara Chandio rejected the application.

The court in its order ruled that the applicant was not entitled for bail as he was arrested during a trap proceeding (a sting operation carried out by authorities under the supervision of a judicial magistrate) shortly after receiving a bribe from the complainant and the tainted currency notes were found in his custody.

A case was registered against the suspects under Sections 161 (public servant taking gratification other then legal remuneration in respect of an official act), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), 467 (forgery of valuable security, will, etc) 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code read with Section 5(2) of the Prevention of Anti-Corruption Act 1947 at the ACE police station.

Published in Dawn, March 23rd, 2017