KARACHI: An anti-terrorism court (ATC) has granted post-arrest bail to four suspects who had been detained for allegedly stealing crude oil from a pipeline in the Malir district.

According to the FIR, a security officer of the Pak Arab Refinery Limited (Parco) stated that he was responsible for guarding a 52-kilometre-long underground crude oil pipeline. He said that on April 26, while on patrol duty with other security staff, he received a phone call from the police informing him that a well had been dug inside a house near Yar Mohammad Goth, where a body had been found.

As per the FIR, the Parco pipeline passed close to that makeshift house, where a well approximately 18 to 20 feet deep had been dug. When rescue staff attempted an operation, it had to be suspended for a day due to the smell of gas and fumes from the crude oil.

However, the next day, a rescue operation was carried out using heavy machinery and the body of a man — soaked in crude oil — was recovered.

The FIR added that 10 identified suspects, along with some unidentified accomplices, had allegedly drilled a hole into the pipeline in an attempt to steal crude oil.

After hearing the prosecution and defence counsel — Abid Zaman and Osama Ali Gujjar — the ATC-XV judge granted bail to four held suspects: Adil Khan, Jalal Zaman, Hamza and Ashfaque Hussain, against surety of Rs1 million each, along with personal bonds.

During the arguments, the defence counsel contended that the complainant had failed to offer a plausible explanation for the two-day delay in lodging the FIR.

“Such unexplained delay creates doubt about the truthfulness of the prosecution’s version, and the applicants are therefore entitled to the concession of bail,” the counsel submitted before the court.

It was also argued that the suspects were not present at the place of occurrence at the relevant time and that no credible evidence placed them at the scene, adding that their false implication could not be ruled out.

The counsel maintained that the suspects were nominated in the FIR solely on the basis of hearsay, without any direct or independent evidence against them.

They added that the complainant had not attributed any specific role to the suspects.

A case was registered under Sections 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees), 462-B (tampering with petroleum pipelines, etc.), 462-C (tampering with auxiliary or distribution pipelines of petroleum) and 34 (common intention), read with relevant sections of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

Published in Dawn, June 15th, 2025