KARACHI, April 24: Police on Saturday registered a case for running a gambling den against the owner, organisers and stakeholders of the Birch rummy club in Ghaas Mandi, where a bomb blast ripped through on Thursday killing some 19 people and left more than 40 injured, officials said.They said the case (FIR 35/2011) was registered under Sections 3/4 of the Pakistan Gambling Act and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code against Wasim, Ejaz Memon, Mushtaq and their eight unknown aides.

“Since the police had enough evidence to believe that the Birch club was running gambling activity, an FIR was lodged against the owners and the organisers of the club,” said DIG South Iqbal Mehmood. “One of the suspects Wasim was a policeman and had been dismissed from the police service a few months ago.”

He said that the police were following certain leads to arrest the people involved in the bomb blast.