HYDERABAD, March 13: The third additional district and sessions judge here on Monday granted interim pre-arrest bail to 13 activists of People’s Party Parliamentarians, including MPA Zahid Bhurgari, in a case lodged with the Hatri police following a clash during by-elections in the Hatri union council.

They were granted bail for Rs50,000 each till March 20. The accused were represented by Allah Bachayo Soomro.

The counsel said that the accused had been beaten up by the complainant’s party and seven of his clients received injuries.

He contended that their FIR was not lodged at he Hatri police station, and, instead, a false case was lodged against them.

He argued that MPA Zahid Bhurgari was not even present when the clash took place and the version that he had suffered injuries was also wrong. The Hatri police had lodged the case against the MPA and 13 others on Saturday under section 147, 148, 14, 506-B, 114 PPC, 337A(i)F(i) and 337H(2) on the complaint of Abdul Khaliq son of Mubarak Mashori.

Besides, Mr Bhurgari other accused included Haroon, Nabi Bux, Master Zameer, Atta Mohammad, Ghulam Farooque, Shaukat, Abdul Haq, Mehboob, Haji Abdul Karim, Haji Moosa, Yaqoob and Abdul Jabbar.