HYDERABAD, Dec 27: Sindh High Court Hyderabad circuit bench here on Wednesday fixed hearing of bail application of Taluka Nazim Dadu Naban Khan Lund in the murder case of Gul Mohammad Jatoi, a jail police guard, for January 16 as state counsel sought time to study the case papers.

The bail application was filed by Allah Bachayo Soomro, advocate, on behalf of the Taluka Nazim, who is confined in Dadu district jail. The case against him was lodged with the Dadu Town police on October 23 vide crime no 347/06 under sections 302, 324, 353, 147, 148, 365, 511, 114, 149 PPC and 17(3) of Hudood Ordinance on the complainant of District Jail Superintendent Ashiq Hussain Bozdar after the jail guard was killed in firing on October 22.

His two sons Aftab Lund, and Mehmood Lund and Sharif Lund (police guard of Naban Lund), a private person, Mohammad Siddique Mallah and six other unknown people were also booked in the case.

The case pertained to a controversy over district jail's building which was being demolished by staff of Taluka Municipal Administration (TMA) Dadu as jail had been shifted outside the city. The prison department claimed that the building belonged to the home department and the Sindh chief minister had ordered construction of women jail on the plot after the district jail was shifted one year back to some other place in the city.

Abdul Hafeez Pirzada, advocate, also filed power on behalf of Lund. The bail application of accused was earlier rejected by the district and sessions judge, Dadu.

His counsel said that district government intended to establish a park in place of old jail building which was the property of the district government and TMA staff had gone to demolish it under directives. He said that Lund was not present when the incident took place and when he reached there the prison had already died.

He said that it was a case of political victimisation because Lund's sons had also been implicated in the case by the jail superintendent in order to cover up his own crime.