Court summons prosecutor to argue on suspects’ pleas for bail

A sessions court has directed the prosecution to argue on the bail applications of the owner, manager and watchman of the Mehran Town factory where a massive fire killed 16 workers on August 27.

According to the FIR, a fire broke out at the BM Luggage Industry in District Korangi’s Mehran Town due to a short circuit, and the workers were trapped inside because of locked gates and no emergency exit.

Six people, including building owner Faisal Tariq, his tenant and factory owner Hassan Meetha, manager Imran Zaidi, supervisors Rehan and Zafar, and watchman Syed Zarin were booked by the police in the FIR.

The district and sessions judge (District East), Khalid Hussain Shahani, directed the public prosecutor to appear in the court on September 19 and submit his comments on the bail after arrest applications moved by the suspects.

The judge had previously rejected the bail before arrest applications submitted by the suspects, ordering their arrest, after which they, except the supervisors who are absconding, were taken into custody from the court premises. The four suspects, however, moved in the court their applications seeking bail again.

At the outset of the hearing, the judge dismissed the bail plea filed by Tariq, directing him to engage a lawyer in his defence and move the application again in the court. Meanwhile, the judge heard arguments on the remaining applications.

Advocate Hasan Sabir, who represented the three suspects, argued that neither the investigating officer of the case had completed the probe in time nor had he recorded the statements of government officials who neglected their duties to ensure fire safety.

He said that his clients were suffering in jail because of the inefficiency of the investigation and requested the court to allow the release of them on bail as it was their basic rights. The judge, on the other hand, adjourned the matter seeking comments from the prosecutor on the next hearing.

The IO had recently submitted an interim charge sheet in the court of a judicial magistrate of District East, stating that the investigation could not be completed in time because of lack of cooperation from the authorities.

The FIR of the case was registered under sections 322 (manslaughter) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code at the Korangi Industrial Area police station on behalf of the state.