SHC releases suspected ‘HIV spreader’ on bail

LARKANA: The Larkana circuit bench of the Sindh High Court on Saturday released on bail a doctor who was arrested on charges of spreading HIV in Ratodero.

Advocate Athar Abbas Solangi had pleaded the doctor’s bail application before the single bench of Justice Mohammad Faisal Kamal Alam on Friday and granted him bail for a sum of Rs200,000, asking him to deposit the surety in the trial court of fifth additional sessions judge.

On Saturday, he submitted the surety amount and was released from sub-jail of Ratodero, said the doctor’s advocate and sources in Ratodero.

Mr Solangi relied on different rulings and submitted that the petitioner was entitled to bail. Deputy prosecutor general Mohammad Noonari vehemently opposed the grant of bail to the applicant.

The order said that if the applicant misused the concession of bail then the trial court might take strict action against him in accordance with law. The trial court would not be influenced by any of the observations contained in the order and decide the case on its merits, it said.

The doctor was picked up after registration of FIR on behalf of Sindh Health Care Commission under sections 324, 337L PPC on April 30. Subsequently, a joint investigation team was constituted to probe the contents of the FIR.

Later, DIG Irfan Baloch told a press conference on May 29 that the JIT found the doctor had not “intentionally” spread the deadly virus in the town and changed sections 324, 322 PPC.