KARACHI, Jan 19: The judicial magistrates of five district courts on Wednesday ordered release on bail and personal bonds of over 120 people held for violating the pillion-riding ban and remanded some others in police and judicial custody.They were arrested for violating the ban on pillion-riding imposed under Section 144 (power to issue order absolute at once in urgent cases of nuisance or apprehended danger) of the criminal procedure code.

Although the Sindh government had declared Wednesday a provincial holiday on account of the Urs of Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai, one judicial magistrate was present in each of the five district courts on a directive of the Sindh High Court for the purpose of remand on Wednesday.

Over 40 suspects were produced before the judicial magistrate (east), who ordered their release. The court granted bail to most suspects against the surety of Rs5,000 each while some of them were also released on personal bonds. The suspects had been arrested within the remit of the Landhi, Korangi, PIB Colony, Zaman Town, Shah Faisal, Al-Falah and Sharea Faisal police stations. The same court remanded a suspect allegedly involved in the incident of targeted killing in police custody till Jan 22.

The special investigation unit of police claimed to have arrested Zakir in Korangi after a shootout and alleged that the suspect was involved in a number of targeted killings.

Fourteen suspects were produced before the judicial magistrate (west), who ordered their release on the surety bond of Rs5,000 each. They had been rounded up within the remit of the Saeedabad, Jackson, Docks, Gulshan-i-Maymar police stations.

The court also remanded three suspects of narcotic case and one of unlicensed weapons case in jail custody.

Around 50 suspects were brought to the court of the judicial magistrate (Malir) who granted them bail against the surety bond of Rs5,000 each. Police had arrested them in Shah Latif Town, Quaidabad, Bin Qasim and Malir.

The judicial magistrate (south) released 14 suspects on personal bonds and discharged Mohammad Yahya and his 13-year-old son Noman under Section 63 (discharge of person apprehended) of the CrPC and came down on police for booking the underage boy on a charge of pillion-riding.

The police officials produced a fresh notification of the provincial government whereby the concerned station house officers have been authorised to register cases against violators of pillion-riding ban. However, the court ruled that this notification was not applicable in these cases since it was issued after the registration of the FIRs.

The suspects were arrested from Clifton, Defence, Kharadar and city courts areas.

The judicial magistrate (central) remanded two suspects brought by officials of the Sir Syed police station for alleged violation of the ban in judicial custody after a police official produced a copy of the notification which allowed the SHOs to register FIR.

All the suspected violators of the pillion-riding ban were booked in cases registered under Sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The provincial government issued the fresh notification after the courts had questioned its previous notification which did not authorise police to become a complainant against violators of the ban.