The Lahore High Court (LHC) acquitted Four Individuals Accused of Murder, overturning their Conviction due to Contradictions in Witness Statements, Flawed Investigation, and Unreliable Forensic Evidence
Islamabad 05-03-2025: In a landmark ruling, the Lahore High Court (LHC) has acquitted four individuals accused of murder, setting aside their conviction and sentence due to serious contradictions in the prosecution’s evidence and investigative flaws.
The case, titled Ali Akbar, etc. Vs. The State, arose from FIR No. 55/2020, registered at Police Station Kalyana, District Pakpattan. The trial Court had sentenced the accused to life imprisonment and rigorous imprisonment for attempted murder. However, upon appeal, Lahore High Court Ms. Chief Justice Aalia Neelum overturned the conviction, emphasizing that the prosecution failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Court found significant inconsistencies in witness statements regarding the sequence of events, the presence of an electric bulb at the crime scene, and who transported the injured and deceased to the hospital. The complainant (PW-1) initially supported the FIR version but later filed a private complaint after 1 year and 6 months, with altered facts and excluded key witnesses.
The prosecution claimed that daggers used in the crime were recovered 43 days after the incident, but forensic analysis failed to match the blood on them with the deceased. The police failed to collect material evidence from the crime scene and did not mention key witnesses in the inquest report. The prosecution also introduced a new motive (illicit relations) after six months, which was never corroborated by independent witnesses.
The judgment relied on landmark Supreme Court rulings, including:
- Muhammad Akram Vs. The State (2009 SCMR 230): Benefit of doubt must be given as a right, not a favor.
- Tariq Pervez Vs. The State (1995 SCMR 1345): A single reasonable doubt is sufficient for acquittal.
- Faisal Mehmood Vs. The State (2017 Cr.LJ 1): Blood disintegrates in three weeks, making delayed forensic reports unreliable.
After reviewing the investigation’s shortcomings, unreliable forensic evidence, and contradictions in witness testimonies, the Lahore High Court ruled in favor of the accused, stating:
- “The prosecution has failed to prove its case beyond any reasonable doubt. The benefit of doubt must go to the accused as a matter of right.”
As a result, the Criminal Appeal [Crl. Appeal No. 31052 of 2023] was accepted, and the conviction of all four accused was set aside. Simultaneously, the Criminal Revision [Crl. Rev. No. 43674 of 2023], seeking sentence enhancement, was dismissed.
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