KARACHI, Jan 16: District and sessions judge, West, Syed Zakir Hussain, on Wednesday adjourned until Jan 21 the hearing of a case against a factory owner and others for dumping highly toxic industrial waste in an open area in Site town, as a result of which two children died and 15 others were injured.

The complainant, Dr Iqbal Saeed Khan who is a former director of the Sindh Environment Protection Agency (Sepa), appeared before the court to record his statement. He apprised the court of the facts and the grounds upon which he had lodged the case against the accused. He was later cross-examined by the defence counsel.

The court summoned Ashfaq Hussain Parzada, a former Sepa deputy director, to appear before the court to record his statements on the next hearing.

On Dec 8 last year, the court had indicted the accused factory owner, Farooq Garib, and three other co-accused including the factory manager Aslam Baig and contractor Sher Khan. The defendants had pleaded not guilty and had opted to contest the case.

According to the prosecution, in March 2006 around 17 children aged between 7 and 10 were playing on an open plot in Site town where a toxic chemical had been dumped. The children suffered serious injuries because of the chemical and were taken to the National Institute of Child Health (NICH) on March 15 and March 17. Two of the affected children succumbed to their injuries and died.

Sepa lodged a case against the accused (FIR No 181/07) at Site police station.