Korangi factory fire: Verdict reserved on bail plea of owner, others

KARACHI: A sessions court on Monday reserved its verdict on bail applications of six suspects in the Korangi factory fire case.

The court reserved the verdict after hearing arguments from both prosecution and defence sides. The verdict would be pronounced on October 22, the judge ruled.

During the hearing, the court noted that the fire erupted due to negligence which started when an industrial unit was set up in a building that was built for residential purposes.

Also Read: SHC bars KBCA, KDA from razing, sealing building

A counsel for factory owner Hassan Meetha, who is currently in jail on judicial remand, furnished affidavits of a compromise reached between his client and nine victim families. They didn’t raise any objection to the suspects’ bail pleas, he added.

At this, the judge enquired about the legal standing of these affidavits, observing the state itself is the complainant in this case.

Factory owner Hassan Meetha, its manager Syed Imran Ali Zaidi and others moved the bail applications. Meetha, Zaidi, building owner Faisal Tariq, supervisors Zafar Ali and Farrukh Ahmed and a watchman are named in the case challan as detained suspects.

Apart from them, officials of civic agencies and utilities have also been charge-sheeted by the investigation officer.

Also Read: DC, SBCA officers get bail in Korangi factory fire case

On Oct 12, a sessions court granted interim pre-arrest bail to Korangi DC Saleemullah Odho, Assistant Commissioner Sajida Ayaz, Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) officers Mohammad Salman, Khizr Hayat and Mohammad Rizwan and Civil Defence Karachi director Safdar Bughio against a surety bond of Rs500,000 each.

On August 27, at least 16 labourers had burnt to death as a blaze erupted in a chemical factory located in Korangi’s Mehran Town of the port city.

The labourers working for the factory had said that there was only one way to enter or exit the building and the blaze made it impossible to reach it.