ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday granted interim bail to an individual accused of being involved in Rs8 billion Modarba scam case.

The IHC division bench, made up of Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui and Justice Athar Minallah, granted the accused, Mufti Ehsan, interim ball until October 16, and ordered him to pay back his liability of Rs8 billion to the affected people within 20 months.

Around 15,000 victims filed applications with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Rawalpindi in 2013 and 2014, claiming that the accused robbed them under an Islamic investment (Modarba) scheme which promised them five to eight per cent monthly profits from their investment.

The victims, who include government servants and labourers, handed over their savings hoping to earn interest-free profit.

The bench granted bail after the accused deposited two surety bonds worth Rs100 million each, and directed the interior ministry to include Mufti Ehsan`s name in the Exit Control List (ECL).

In the course of the proceedings, the court also granted bail to four other accused Nazir Ahmed, Obaidullah, Hafiz Mukhtar, and Mohammad Osama Qureshi after they submitted surety bonds worth Rs10 million each.

The court also directed that Ehsan`s bail would be abandoned if he failed to pay back Rs100 million as a first installment.Staff Reporter