PESHAWAR, Oct 25: The NWFP government has registered an FIR against nine former employees of a school, including three former headmasters, in a case of sexual abuse of students.

The nine were granted interim pre-arrest bail on Monday by Additional District and Sessions Judge Farhatullah Khan.

The court fixed Oct 29 for arguments on the application for pre-arrest bail filed by the officials.

The judge ordered the applicants to furnish two sureties each of Rs200,000.

The accused were held responsible for sexually abusing students in the City Government Higher Secondary School No.3 for Boys in an inquiry conducted by Additional District and Sessions Judge Jamal Khan. The alleged abuse had continued for over two decades.

The inquiry report was submitted to the home department in August, following which Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani approved a summary for the registration of the FIR.

The FIR was registered on Oct 23 with the Kabuli police station under Sections 377, 409, 420, 468 and 471 of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The report, with approval for registration of the FIR, was sent to the police station by the home department.

The accused are: teachers Himayatullah, Abdul Qayyum and Mubarak Ahmad; clerks Shahnawaz and Mohammad Humayun; watchman Abdul Baseer; and former headmasters Syed Hussain Shah, Abdul Rashid Khan and Gul Nawaz.

The judicial officer held six of the accused directly responsible for the abuse and three for abetment as they remained silent over the wrongdoings.

He recommended legal action against the accused directly involved in the abuse - Hussain Shah, Himayatullah, Abdul Qayyum, Shahnawaz Khan Humayun and Abdul Baseer.

He stated that although no documentary proof regarding the activities of the group was produced but there was strong circumstantial evidence of its involvement in immoral activities.

He said the six accused should also be proceeded against for corruption.

He said action should be taken against them under the PPC, the NWFP Civil Servants Act, 1973, and the anti-corruption law.

Jamal Khan pointed out that Mubarak Ahmad was aware of the activities of the group but he did not bring the issue into the notice of higher officials of the education department. The inquiry officer said the record showed that the accused supported the group and he was found involved in corruption.

He said Gul Nawaz and Abdur Rasheed, despite having knowledge of the immoral activities, did not fulfil their responsibilities.

He recommended action against them for negligence.

The issue had surfaced in September 2003 and the government had transferred all the staff members.

It was alleged in news reports that the members of the gang punished the students who did not submit to them and used the results of examinations to lure them.

The provincial assembly on Sept 27, 2003, referred the issue to the standing committee on schools and literacy, which directed a sub-committee to inquire into the issue. Finally, it was decided that a judicial inquiry would be conducted into the matter. An inquiry was also conducted by the schools and literacy department, which spared the accused.

The accused, who were trying to hide their faces, were accompanied by a large number of their supporters, mostly teachers, to the courtroom.