Umar Mukhtar V. The State through Director General Regional Accountability Bureau and others,
MLD 2020 696 · Balochistan High Court
This case is about three officials of Balochistan's Food Department, along with a flour mill owner, who were convicted by an Accountability Court for embezzling wheat meant to be sold as subsidized flour (atta) through fair price shops to the public. The Regional Accountability Bureau alleged that the flour mill lifted more wheat than it converted into flour for distribution, and that the responsible Assistant Directors of Food failed to prevent this, causing loss to the government treasury. The trial court had sentenced them each to ten years' imprisonment, heavy fines, and disqualification from public office.
On appeal, the Balochistan High Court overturned the convictions. It found that the prosecution had not properly investigated the matter: officials from the administration who were supposed to monitor sales were never questioned, the fair price shop owners were never examined, and no evidence showed wheat was actually misappropriated or sold illegally. There was also no proof that the accused received any financial benefit. The court held that the case was built on assumptions rather than solid proof, and that under the law, misuse of authority and criminal intent must be clearly established before an accused can be asked to prove innocence.
This judgment matters because it reinforces that in corruption and accountability cases, the burden of proof lies strictly with the prosecution, and convictions cannot rest on suspicion or incomplete investigation. The appeals were allowed and the accused were acquitted.
یہ مقدمہ بلوچستان کے محکمہ خوراک کے تین اہلکاروں اور ایک فلور مل کے مالک سے متعلق ہے، جنہیں احتساب عدالت نے اس گندم کی خرد برد کے الزام میں سزا دی تھی جو فیئر پرائس شاپس کے ذریعے عوام کو سبسڈی والا آٹا فراہم کرنے کے لیے مقرر کی گئی تھی۔ ریجنل اکاؤنٹیبلٹی بیورو کا الزام تھا کہ فلور مل نے آٹے کی تیاری کے لیے مقررہ مقدار سے زیادہ گندم اٹھائی، اور اس کی نگرانی پر مامور اسسٹنٹ ڈائریکٹرز فوڈ نے اس بے ضابطگی کو روکنے میں کوتاہی برتی، جس کے نتیجے میں سرکاری خزانے کو نقصان پہنچا۔ ٹرائل کورٹ نے ملزمان میں سے ہر ایک کو دس سال قید، بھاری جرمانے، اور سرکاری عہدے کے لیے نااہلی کی سزا سنائی تھی۔
اپیل کی سماعت پر بلوچستان ہائی کورٹ نے یہ سزائیں کالعدم قرار دے دیں۔ عدالت نے قرار دیا کہ استغاثہ نے اس معاملے کی مناسب تحقیقات نہیں کی: انتظامیہ کے وہ اہلکار جو فروخت کی