HYDERABAD, Jan 8: Sindh High Court Hyderabad circuit bench here on Tuesday granted protective bail to 35-party activists including three candidates of National and Provincial Assembly seats of PPP in separate cases of arson and riots in a sum of Rs30,000 each for one week.

The accused included, Dr. Mahesh Kumar Malani, a candidate for NA-229, Engineer Pesumal, a candidate for PS-61, Sunil Malani, a candidate for PS-60 and PS-63 besides three nephews of Malani viz; Darshan, Rajesh and Vinod and former taluka nazim Mithi Faqir Sher Mohammad Bilalani.

Dr Mahesh Kumar Malani was booked in three cases while Pesumal and Bilalani were nominated in two separate cases each by Islamkot and Mithi police.

The accused appeared in person before the court which granted them protective bail for one week. The cases against them were lodged under section 6/7 of Anti Terrorism Act (ATA) in the backdrop of violence that erupted in the wake of assassination of PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto.

According to district information secretary of PPP Tharparkar, the district police had lodged 24 FIRs against 436 nominated accused while 2,886 accused were cited as unknown. Out of them, 53 were arrested by Mithi, Islamkot, Nagarparkar and Diplo police.