ISLAMABAD (TIP): An Islamabad court on January 9 granted bail to Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, the mastermind of 2008 Mumbai terror attack, in a six-year kidnapping case. The court granted bail to Lakhvi against surety bonds worth Rs 200,000.

On January 7, the Supreme Court of Pakistan had overturned the high court order suspending Lakhvi’s detention under a public security act which evoked a strong reaction from India and ordered that he remain in jail.

The apex court also referred the case back to the high court for a “complete hearing” before giving a final decision. The case will be heard again on January 12.

Lakhvi was arrested in February 2009 and was indicted along with six others on November 25, 2009, for planning and helping to carry out the Mumbai terror attacks.

The six other men facing trial for their alleged involvement are Hammad Amin Sadiq, Shahid Jamil Riaz, Younas Anjum, Jamil Ahmed, Mazhar Iqbal and Abdul Majid.

At the time of the attacks, Lakhvi was believed to be the operational head of the banned Laskhar-e-Taiba (LeT) that has been accused by India of being the perpetrator.

The 2008 attacks, which saw 10 Pakistani gunmen rampage through Mumbai and then lay seige to a five-star hotel for three days totally killing 166 people, sent bilateral relations into deep freeze. India blamed the Pakistan-based militant group LeT for the attack and handed over intercepts to use as evidence in the Lakhvi case.

One Pakistani terrorist, Ajmal Kasab, caught alive was tried and convicted of the attacks, and sentenced to death by a special court in Mumbai. He was executed on November 21, 2012.