KARACHI, Dec 8: A district and sessions court on Saturday indicted a factory owner and three other accused on a charge of dumping highly toxic industrial waste in an open area that claimed the lives of two children and caused injuries to 14 others in Site Town.

Factory owner Farooq Garib, manager Aslam Baig and two other accused appeared before Judge Syed Zakir Hussain. As they pleaded not guilty and opted to contest the case, the court adjourned the case to Jan 16, 2008.

According to the prosecution, around 17 children got serious injuries while playing in the area due to a toxic chemical which had been dumped in a plot. They were brought to the NICH on March 15, 2006. Two of the affected children died later.

The Sindh Environment Protection Agency had lodged a case at Site police station under Sections 322 and 286 of the Pakistan Penal Code. The police arrested the accused who were later released by court on bail.