LAHORE: Lahore High Court (LHC) Multan Bench on Monday granted interim pre-arrest bail to PML-N MPA Rana Abdul Manan Sajid in the Jatoi violence case.

Earlier, an Anti-Terrorism Court of Dera Ghazi Khan had denied pre-arrest bail to the PML-N MPA allegedly torturing the Jatoi Assistant Commissioner Tariq Mehmood over a wheat procurement issue.

Jatoi police station (in Muzaffargarh district) registered a case under sections 459, 380,109, 353,186, 337A(iii), F(i), F(v), A(i), L(ii), 114, 148, 149 PPC and section 7 of ATA, 1997 against the MPA and others.

On Monday, MPA Sajid moved to LHC`s Multan bench and filed an interim bail petition.

According to the cases, the AC was tortured and later thrashed by some mob under instructions of MPA Sajid and he suffered injuries. The attackers also snatched documents, laptop and mobile phones from the AC.

The protest was being conducted against the AC Mahmood for his alleged involvement in not providing gunny bags to farmers and selling the bags to middle men.

However, the MPA denied the allegations and said that he held a protest outside the residence of the AC in Jatoi where no violence occurred.

Petitioner`s lawyer contended that he (petitioner) was falsely involved in this case with malafide intention and ulterior motives.

The court accepted the petition and granted him interim pre-arrest bail subject to furnishing bail bonds of Rs100,000.

The court also directed the petitioner to join the investigation as and when required by the police and appear before this court on each and every date of hearing.