Doubt regarding Prosecution Case is sufficient to give Benefit of Doubt to Accused
PLJ 2013 Cr.C. (Lahore) 948 (DB) · Lahore High Court
This case involved two men, Umar Draz and Muhammad Nawaz, who were convicted by a trial court of murdering Gulbaz and sentenced to death. The prosecution's story was that Umar Draz called the victim away from a gathering, and later the complainant and a witness found both accused strangling him with a noose in the dark, after which the accused fled.
On appeal, the Lahore High Court found the case full of doubts. The alleged motive, that the victim had an illicit relationship with one appellant's mother, was based only on hearsay, as the complainant admitted he only "learnt" of this from an unnamed person who was never produced as a witness. The court also noted the mother was an elderly woman, much older than the victim, making the motive implausible. Additionally, one appellant was sixty-seven years old, yet supposedly outran younger witnesses who claimed to catch him in the act. No weapons or incriminating evidence were recovered from the accused. The court concluded the murder likely happened unwitnessed at night, and the accused were implicated merely on suspicion because the body was found near their home.
Applying the principle that even a single reasonable doubt is enough to benefit the accused, the court acquitted both men, setting aside their conviction and death sentences. The judgment highlights how courts must guard against convictions based on weak motive evidence, hearsay, and implausible circumstances, especially in capital cases.
یہ مقدمہ دو افراد، عمر دراز اور محمد نواز سے متعلق ہے، جنہیں ٹرائل کورٹ نے گلباز کے قتل کا مجرم قرار دیتے ہوئے سزائے موت سنائی تھی۔ استغاثہ کا مؤقف یہ تھا کہ عمر دراز نے مقتول کو ایک مجمعے سے الگ بلایا، اور بعد ازاں مدعی اور ایک گواہ نے اندھیرے میں دونوں ملزمان کو رسی کے پھندے سے اسے گلا گھونٹتے ہوئے پایا، جس کے بعد ملزمان فرار ہو گئے۔
اپیل پر لاہور ہائی کورٹ نے اس مقدمے کو شکوک و شبہات سے بھرپور پایا۔ مبینہ محرکِ قتل، یعنی یہ کہ مقتول کے ایک ملزم کی ماں کے ساتھ ناجائز تعلقات تھے، محض سنی سنائی بات پر مبنی تھا، کیونکہ مدعی نے خود تسلیم کیا کہ اسے یہ بات ایک نامعلوم شخص سے معلوم ہوئی تھی جسے کبھی گواہ کے طور پر پیش ہی نہیں کیا گیا۔ عدالت نے یہ بھی نوٹ کیا کہ وہ عورت عمر رسیدہ تھی اور مقتول سے کہیں زیادہ بڑی تھی، جس سے یہ محرک ناقاب