Another suspect’s bail plea rejected in Shah Faisal Colony fire case

A sessions court has rejected the bail application of another suspect in a case pertaining to a fire at an illegal petrol shop in Shah Faisal Colony.

Raheel Aslam, owner of the shop, and Riaz Ahmed Sheikh, owner of the ‘illegal’ petrol pump established in the shop, were booked on charges of manslaughter and negligent conduct after a fire on September 11 in the shop located on the ground floor of a three-storey building in Shah Faisal Colony No 3 killed a citizen.

Additional Sessions Judge (East) Shahid Ali Memon dismissed the application filed by a suspect, Muhammad Talha, seeking post-arrest bail in the case.

Talha through his lawyer contended that he had rented a shop in the Welcome Centre from its owner Raheel Aslam, where he ran the business of lubricants and batteries. He said that his shop was destroyed in the fire, ruining his business.

The lawyer said that his client had also filed a suit seeking damages from Raheel and Riaz, who was running the illegal petrol pump. He said the applicant was in fact one of the victims and when he visited the police station to record his statement as a witness, police arrested him for being an absconder.

In his order, the judge observed that the active involvement of the applicant in the crime could not be ruled out. "It is an admitted fact that present applicant/accused was running the business of oil (lubricants) in one of the shops of Welcome Center which was burnt and caused physical and monetary loss to its inhabitants and nearby people," he said.

"Thus, the present applicant/accused is not entitled for bail concession and if he is admitted to post-arrest bail, then it would amount to encourage him and other likeminded persons to indulge in such illegal business of sale of petrol without observing safety measures and obtaining permission from the concerned authorities."

On September 19, the court had rejected the bail of co-accused Raheel Aslam.

An FIR has been lodged at the Shah Faisal Colony police station under the sections 322 (punishment for qatl-bis-sabab), 285 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter), 286 (negligent conduct with respect to explosive substance), 287 (negligent conduct with respect to machinery), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) and 34 (common intention) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The case was registered on the complaint of Salman Ahmed Chawla, brother of Siraj Ahmed who burned to death while having a haircut in the adjacent barber shop.