Muhammad Essa and another V. The State and another,
MLD 2020 1636 · Balochistan High Court
A man named Muhammad Essa was accused of murdering his wife inside their home at night, allegedly over a strained marriage. His wife's father lodged an FIR naming Essa and another man as suspects. The trial court convicted Essa and sentenced him to death, while acquitting his co-accused. Essa appealed to the Balochistan High Court, and the case also came before the court as a mandatory murder reference.
The High Court found serious problems with the prosecution's case. The FIR was filed over two hours after the crime, raising suspicion that the story may have been deliberated and fabricated rather than reported immediately. The murder happened at night, unwitnessed, inside the house, and Essa was named mainly on suspicion.
The court also found the confession unreliable: it had been recorded under oath by the magistrate, which is legally improper because it effectively forces the accused to testify against himself, violating constitutional protections. There was no record that his handcuffs were removed or that he was given time to reflect before confessing.
Additionally, medical evidence contradicted the prosecution's theory, since the doctor could not have concluded the cause of death before receiving chemical analysis results, yet did so anyway.
The court ruled that a wife's death in her husband's house does not by itself prove his guilt; the prosecution must prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt. Finding the evidence unreliable, the High Court acquitted Essa, allowing the appeal and rejecting the death sentence.
محمد عیسیٰ نامی ایک شخص پر الزام تھا کہ اس نے رات کے وقت اپنے گھر میں اپنی بیوی کو قتل کیا، جس کی وجہ مبینہ طور پر ازدواجی زندگی میں کشیدگی بتائی گئی۔ مقتولہ کے والد نے ایف آئی آر درج کروائی جس میں عیسیٰ اور ایک اور شخص کو ملزم نامزد کیا گیا۔ ٹرائل کورٹ نے عیسیٰ کو مجرم قرار دیتے ہوئے سزائے موت سنائی، جبکہ شریک ملزم کو بری کر دیا گیا۔ عیسیٰ نے بلوچستان ہائی کورٹ میں اپیل دائر کی، اور یہ مقدمہ لازمی قتل ریفرنس کے طور پر بھی عدالت کے سامنے آیا۔
ہائی کورٹ نے استغاثہ کے مقدمے میں سنگین خامیاں پائیں۔ ایف آئی آر واقعے کے دو گھنٹے سے زائد عرصے بعد درج کروائی گئی، جس سے یہ شبہ پیدا ہوتا ہے کہ کہانی فوری طور پر رپورٹ کرنے کے بجائے سوچ سمجھ کر گھڑی گئی ہو۔ قتل رات کے وقت، بغیر کسی گواہ کے، گھر کے اندر ہوا، اور عیسیٰ کو بنیادی طور پر شک کی