KARACHI: District and session judge Karachi East on Tuesday granted pre-arrest bails to deputy and assistant commissioners of Korangi in the Mehran Town factory fire case.

On Monday, Deputy Director-Korangi Abdul Sami, Assistant Director Khawar Hayat and senior building inspector Syed Muhammad Salman Shahid of the Sindh Building Control Authority were also granted interim pre-arrest bail.

The K-Electric on October 7 had got suspended non-bailable warrants of arrest of its two officials who instead of their names arrayed in the list of accused by their designations in the supplementary charge sheet.

Last week, judicial magistrate III Karachi East had issued non-bailable warrants for the arrest of around 12 key officers of provincial departments and civic agencies and utilities. They were issued after police filed a supplementary charge sheet against them for their alleged negligence that led to the death of 16 workers.

The fire on August 27, allegedly caused by a short-circuit in the premises of industrial unit, M/s BM Luggage, in Mehran Town, Korangi, had killed 16 workers.

On Tuesday, deputy commissioner Saleemullah Odho and Assistant Commissioner Sajida Ayaz appeared before the court for bail in fear of their arrest.

The applicants submitted that they were booked in the case by the investigating officer with mala fide intentions, as they wanted to join and assist the investigations.

They pleaded that they should be granted bail before arrest so that they could join the investigations.

Without touching the merits of the case, District and Sessions Judge Khalid Hussain Shahani granted them bail before arrest subject to a surety bond of Rs500,000, each.

While directing them to join the investigation, the judge fixed the matter for October 16 for confirmation of their interim bail. The judge also issued a notice to the investigating officer of the case to appear along with the police report on the next date.

Initially, the factory`s owner Hassan Meetha alias Ali Meetha, its building`s owner Faisal Tariq, its manager Syed Imran Ali Zaidi, supervisors Zafar Ali and Rehan and watchman Zarin Khan were booked for their alleged involvement in the manslaughter case. Later, they were arrested after the court recalled their interim pre-arrest bail.

The officers facing arrest include labour department officer Muhammad Ali, Karachi Development Authority (KDA) Deputy Director (Land) Irfan Hussain and Executive Engineer Zahid Hussain, Civil Defence Director Safdar Ali and Deputy Controller Shahabuddin.