ISLAMABD, Aug 15: The Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected bail application of a landlord from Sindh, Abdur Rehman Marri, involved in the kidnapping of a nine-member peasant family missing since 1998.

A five-member bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry, Justice Javed Iqbal, Justice Sardar Mohamamd Raza Khan, Justice Faqir Mohamamd Khokar and Justice M Javed Buttar had taken up a suo motu on a complaint about Munnu Bheel’s missing family on the application of a Swedish human rights activist, Torborg Isakssan.

During the last hearing, the Sindh police chief had conceded that centuries-old system of bonded labour was behind the disappearance and also the stumbling block in locating the family.

Munnu Bheel and his family members with 71 other ‘Haris’ engaged in bonded labour in the lands of Abdul Rehman Marri was rescued by a special task force of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan with the help of the local administration in 1996.

But on Feb 4, 1998 nine relatives of Munnu Bheel were again kidnapped allegedly by the same landlord after the family refused to pay back a loan of Rs190,000.

The abducted family members were Kheero (father, aged 70), Shirimati Akhu (mother, 60), Shirimati Moutan (wife, 40), Jalal (brother, 25), Shirimati Mumal (daughter, 13), Chamio (son 10), Kanjee (son 8), Shirimati Dhailee (daughter) and a relative Katro. Later, on the intervention of the apex court, the Sindh police arrested Abdul Rehman Marri, who earlier had absconded but subsequently surrendered when the court ordered forfeiture of his properties.

On Wednesday, the court directed the police to recover the missing people as early as possible when Sanghar DPO Ajmal Magsi told the bench that Jan Singh whose name was not mentioned in the FIR earlier had confessed that he was living with Abdur Rehman Marri for ten years.

The detained person has conceded that Munnu Bheel and his family members had borrowed the money from the landlord.

Both Abdur Rehman and Jan Singh are in jail while Abdul Jabbar Marri, brother of Abdur Rehman Marri, has been declared absconder, the DPO said.

Advocate Kamran Murtaza, counsel for Abdur Rehman Marri, requested the court to release his client on bail since he was a heart patient and in jail for 13 months. The bench declined to grant him bail and directed the Sindh police to immediately recover missing family members of Munnu Bheel.

Mr Bheel also appeared in the court and submitted that Abdur Rehman Marri was living in an airconditioned room in jail.

At this the Chief Justice asked additional advocate-general of Sindh, Masood Noorani, to inquire into the matter.