KARACHI, Jan 18: Over 400 people, who had been arrested for allegedly violating a ban on pillion-riding in the city, were on Tuesday granted bail by respective judicial magistrates.

Hundreds of people were arrested by the police for violating a late-night ban imposed under Section 144 (power to issue order absolute at once in urgent cases of nuisance or apprehended danger) of the criminal procedure code.

The police produced the arrested people before the judicial magistrates concerned in the city courts and the Malir district courts on Tuesday.

The magistrates granted bail to most of them against a surety bond of Rs5,000 and Rs10,000 each.

The courts released some 80 others on personal bonds.

In some cases, the courts discharged the arrested people under Section 63 (discharge of person apprehended) of the CrPC on the ground that the police had violated Section 195 (prosecution for contempt of lawful authority of public servants: prosecution for certain offence against public justice: prosecution for certain offence relating to documents given in evidence) of the CrPC.

The magistrates also berated the police for registering cases without adopting a proper procedure and also expressed their displeasure over the manner in which the police produced the arrested people in courts.

Appearing on behalf of the arrested people, some lawyers informed the courts that the police were misusing their authority by detaining the suspects for more than 24 hours at the police stations without producing them in court.

Around 100 students were among the arrested people produced in court on Tuesday.