HYDERABAD: The acting special judge anti-corruption (central) on Friday reserved order on the bail application of former Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (HCCI) president Seth Goharullah, who is owner of the Fateh Textile Mills, in a case pertaining to unlawful power generation case. The order would be announced on Tuesday (Sept 24). Lawyers’ arguments were heard by Accountability Court Judge Ms Naseem Jalal Soomro, as the court concerned is vacant. Advocate Umer Soomro represented Seth Goharullah, who is in jail after having been arrested by the Hyderabad FIA, whose counsel Ghazanfar Bhutto opposed grant of bail to the accused. Advocate Soomro highlighted “contradictions” in the FIR and its related inquiry. He said it was a case of further inquiry. He said when a matter was of further inquiry, accused should not remain in jail. He said that his client was ready to bear expenses of FIA’s further probe if need be after bail was granted to him. He said that conflicting points were that while complainant before FIA said that an agreement of power generation with the mills had expired while the FIA claimed that no such power generation agreement simply existed. He contended that there were contradictions as to the signing of agreement with Sui Gas company or otherwise as per FIA’s inquiry. He said that FIA didn’t approach sitting Hesco chief for verification of NOC and approached the former Hesco chief Muzaffar Abbasi. He pointed out that as per SC’s ruling in the case of forged documents, writing experts’ opinion had to be obtained. He said agreement about power generation of several years back and valid for two years as per inquiry. He maintained that government had announced in 2008 when there was electricity shortage that textile mills could sell their surplus power to government so that it didn’t have to invest in grid and it would be a cheaper electricity for government; and Nepra would pay for it to supplier. He pointed out that entire case was based on a simple complaint of a Hesco employee, who submitted his complaint on a piece of paper. He wondered why SSGC authorities didn’t take action in the matter when gas supply was misused. He said that even the provisional challan submitted by FIA said that it was a case of further inquiry. He argued that FIA had been mandated by government to take action in matters related to power pilferage in the country but FIA didn’t mention any reference of Electricity Act in this FIR and no power theft was mentioned. FIA’s counsel Ghazzanfar Bhutto opposed grant of bail saying that a Rs670m loss was caused to Hesco between 2015 to 2024 on account of this illegal power generation. He said that electricity was sold to registered and unregistered consumers. He said power was being illegally generated and sold for which all evidences were obtained. He said SSGC had allowed gas supplies for firing [Fateh Textile] mills’ boiler on plot No. A-4. He said the tariff for running the boiler was on lower side while for power generation tariff for gas supply was higher. He said these supplies could to be used for power generation and distribution to consumers simply.