LARKANA, Sept 23: The Larkana circuit bench of the Sindh High Court on Tuesday quashed an FIR against an under trial prisoner, Muhammed Ali Siddiqi, who had been languishing in a judicial lock-up in Mehar for three months without any inquiry and evidence and ordered his release.

Mr Justice Syed Mehmood Alam Rizivi heard Siddiqi’s case after converting his application into a petition.

Siddiqi who was produced in court handcuffed told the justice that the agencies had arrested him on his return from Azerbaijan on April 27, 2008 at Karachi airport on charges of possessing fake Pakistani passport and visa.

They grilled him for three months at different locations, which he did not know, and finally handed him over to Mehar police who booked him under section 465 and 467. Since then he was being kept in the judicial lock-up, he said.

He said that he was a tailor by profession and resided in Karachi’s Korangi area. He had no relations in Mehar and he had gone to Azerbaijan to earn try his luck there, he said.

Siddiqi appealed for justice to Justice Amir Hani Muslim and Mr Justice Syed Mehmood Alam Rizivi when they visited the judicial lock-up on Sept 7.

In the meantime, the session judge of Dadu granted him bail and then Siddiqi sent an application to the circuit bench on Sept 9, which was converted into a petition.

Mehar’s Assistant Sub-Inspector (investigation) Bakhshal also appeared in the court as Mr Justice Syed Mehmood Alam Rizvi ordered removing handcuffs and releasing Siddiqi.

The court said in its observations that how the inquiry into charges against the accused could be carried out in Mehar when he had been arrested at Karachi airport, which was well equipped with state of the art machines to check the authenticity of the passport and the visa.

Siddiqi had a Pakistani passport, a key, seven American dollars, 120 Pakistani rupees and 10 riyals of Dubai at the time of his arrest.

The court released the accused after quashing the FIR and gave him Rs500 to reach Karachi.