KARACHI: A court on Tuesday granted bail to the builder of an illegally built residential-cum-commercial building that had collapsed during rains in Moosa Colony.

Police booked Amir alias Baba, said to be a police employee, over allegedly using substandard material and negligence and illegal construction of a six-storey building that collapsed on July 18.

On Tuesday, the investigating officer produced the suspect before Judicial Magistrate (Central) Ghulam Sarwar Solangi to seek his remand in police custody for interrogation.

The IO submitted that a deputy director of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation had lodged an FIR against the owner of the building and of ficials of the Sindh Building Control Authority for their alleged negligence that led to the cavingin ofthe building.

He requested for 14-day physical remand of the held suspect in police custody for interrogation and completion of the investigation and other legal formalities.

On the other hand, the suspect, through his counsel, moved an application seekinggrantofpost-arrest bail. The counsel argued that the sections under which the FIR had been lodged were bailable, hence he pleaded to admit the applicant to a bail.

The magistrate granted post-arrest bail to the suspectsubjecttofurnishinga surety in sum of Rs10,000 with direction to cooperate with the police during investigation.

A case was registered under Sections 286 (negligent conduct with explosive substance), 288 (negligent conduct with building), 290 (public nuisance), 119 (pubEc servant concealing design), 427 (mischief), 109 (abetment), 114 (abettor present when offence committed) and 34 (common intention) of Pakistan Penal Code at the Gulberg police station.