HYDERABAD: The Hyderabad circuit bench of the Sindh High Court on Wednesday granted interim pre-arrest bail to an assistant registrar of a cooperative housing society for a sum of Rs500,000 in an inquiry by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) into allegations of corruption.

The applicant, Abdul Sattar Leghari, was facing the probe into misappropriation of Rs10 million in Tando Allahyar cooperative housing department during 2011-14.

The applicant`s counsel Ishrat Ali Lohar told the court that Mr Legahri had agreed to voluntarily return the money and had so far paid back Rs3.3 million.

His co-accused in the case, Ratan Lal, was also granted bail in the case by the principal bench of the SHC without his returning the money. Ratan Lal had also agreed to voluntarily return the embezzled amount, he said. He contended that considering doctrine of rule of consistence his client should be granted bail as he was facing the inquiry and now he feared his arrest by NAB officials.

He had even submitted an application to NAB authorities, seeking time for return of the remaining amount of Rs10 million, said the counsel. He said that in his petition filed in this court the NAB authorities were restrained from taking any coercive measures against him but his client now feared the arrest after receiving the call-up notice from the bureau and filed the ball application. He had already been terminated from service by the department, he said.

The division bench comprising Justices Mohammad Ali Mazhar and Anwar Hussain granted the interim pre-arrest bail to the applicant and fixed hearing of the case for June 16 for the bail`s confirmation.