PESHAWAR, Dec 11: A local court on Saturday denied bail to six former staffers of the City Government Higher Secondary School No.3 for Boys.

Local magistrate Haq Nawaz Swathi dismissed their bail applications, observing that they did not deserve release at this stage of the case.

The accused, three teachers Himayatullah, Abdul Qayyum, Mubarak Ahmad, two clerks Shahnawaz and Muhammad Humayun, and a watchman Abdul Baseer were arrested after their pre-arrest bail petitions were rejected by a local court on Dec 4, in a case of sexual abuse of students. After police custody for four days, they were sent to the Peshawar Central Prison on Dec 9.

Advocates Astaghfirullah Khan and Yousaf Khan Yousafzai appeared for the applicants and argued that they were implicated in the case. They argued that the entire case was based on hearsay and no evidence was on record which could connect the accused with the offence.

The counsel contended that medical report of not a single victim was available to prove that in fact any abuse of students had taken place.

The FIR against nine former staffers of the school was registered at Kabuli police station on Oct 23, in the light of a judicial inquiry conducted by an additional district and sessions judge, Jamal Khan. According to reports, the abuse of students was going on in the said school for over two decades.

Three former principals of the school- Syed Hussain Shah, Haji Abdur Rasheed and Gul Nawaz- were granted pre-arrest bail by the court on Saturday.