KARACHI, Jan 15: The special court (offences in banks), Sindh, has allowed pre-arrest bail to a former manager of the MCB, Larkana, in a misappropriation case of Rs2 million.

Represented by counsel Rizwan Ahmed Siddiqui, the applicant, Akhtar Hussain Khichi, contended that he was entitled to the pre- arrest bail because his name and role in the commission of the offence was not mentioned in the FIR.

It was his contention that there was no material evidence with the prosecution, except four receipts which were prepared as per practice of the bank under the signatures of the then manager, accused Nazir Hussain and the cashier, applicant, at the same time when a voucher for the shortage of rupees two million was prepared.

It proved that there was a shortage of the said amount in the transit of the cash and that the name of the accused/applicant was not shown even in the interim challan.

Initially, he was detained and then released under section 169 CrPC. Now, he said, the investigation officer intended to arrest him.

Syed Ikram Hussain Jaferi, presiding officer of the court, took note of the facts that the applicant was not shown an accused for any offence in the FIR and in the interim challan.

He also noted that the co-accused, whose case was on same footing, the then manager, Nazir Hussain Channa, had been admitted to pre-arrest bail and the prosecutor had no objection and he found it fit to extend the same concession of pre-arrest bail to the applicant.

Accordingly, he admitted pre-arrest bail in the sum of Rs20,00,000 to the accused.