Rahim Khan v State,
PCrLJ 2011 1889 · Balochistan High Court
This case involves an appeal by two men, Rahim Khan and Karim Khan, convicted under the Explosive Substances Act and the Anti-Terrorism Act after police raided a house in Quetta at night and allegedly recovered 49 hand grenades from one appellant's room and 40 kilograms of explosive material, along with detonation equipment, from the other's room. They were sentenced to eight years' rigorous imprisonment by the Anti-Terrorism Court.
On appeal, the defence argued that no independent witnesses were involved in the search as required under Section 103 of the Criminal Procedure Code, that the investigating officer was not produced at trial, and that the expert opinion on the recovered material was inadmissible.
The Balochistan High Court rejected these arguments. It held that, given the raid happened at 2:25 a.m., it was understandable that private witnesses could not be arranged, especially since efforts had been made to find them. The court reaffirmed that police officers are competent and credible witnesses unless there is specific evidence of malice or false implication, which the defence failed to show. It also noted that the defence never objected to the expert report when it was presented at trial, so they could not challenge it later.
Finding that the prosecution had proven the explosives were recovered from the appellants' exclusive possession, and noting the legal presumption of guilt under Section 27-A of the Anti-Terrorism Act once such possession is shown, the court upheld the conviction and sentence, considering the punishment already lenient.
یہ مقدمہ دو افراد، رحیم خان اور کریم خان کی اپیل سے متعلق ہے، جنہیں دھماکہ خیز مواد ایکٹ اور انسدادِ دہشت گردی ایکٹ کے تحت اس وقت سزا سنائی گئی جب پولیس نے کوئٹہ میں ایک مکان پر رات کے وقت چھاپہ مارا اور مبینہ طور پر ایک اپیل کنندہ کے کمرے سے 49 دستی بم اور دوسرے کے کمرے سے 40 کلوگرام دھماکہ خیز مواد، بشمول دھماکہ خیز آلات، برآمد کیے۔ انسدادِ دہشت گردی عدالت نے انہیں آٹھ سال قید بامشقت کی سزا سنائی تھی۔
اپیل میں دفاع نے یہ مؤقف اختیار کیا کہ ضابطہ فوجداری کی دفعہ 103 کے تقاضوں کے مطابق تلاشی کے دوران کوئی غیر جانبدار گواہ شامل نہیں کیا گیا، تفتیشی افسر کو عدالت میں پیش نہیں کیا گیا، اور برآمد شدہ مواد کے بارے میں ماہرانہ رائے ناقابلِ قبول ہے۔
بلوچستان ہائی کورٹ نے یہ دلائل مسترد کر دیے۔ عدالت نے قرار دیا کہ چونکہ چھاپہ رات کے 2:25 بج