Legal Case Summary

Case Details
Case ID 1ee35d65-c503-4ed8-ba44-ca1641ad5afa
Body View case body.
Case Number Criminal Appeal No. 145-B of 2012
Decision Date Feb 19, 2015
Hearing Date Feb 19, 2015
Decision The appeal was accepted, and the convictions and sentences awarded to the accused were set aside. The court found that the prosecution failed to prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt. The evidence presented was riddled with discrepancies and inconsistencies, particularly regarding the testimony of key witnesses. The court emphasized the importance of the principle of 'benefit of doubt' in criminal law, asserting that any reasonable doubt in the prosecution's case must lead to acquittal. As a result, the accused were acquitted and released from custody.
Summary This case revolves around a criminal appeal where the appellants, Inayatullah and Moeenullah, were originally convicted of murder and attempted murder under the Penal Code. The Peshawar High Court scrutinized the evidence presented during the trial, highlighting significant delays in lodging the FIR and inconsistencies in eyewitness testimonies. The court underscored the necessity for the prosecution to establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, a foundational principle of criminal justice. The judges noted that the prosecution's case was weakened by the abandonment of key witnesses and contradictions regarding the motive for the crime. Ultimately, the court ruled in favor of the appellants, emphasizing that the principle of 'benefit of doubt' is paramount in ensuring that no innocent person is wrongfully punished. This case serves as a critical reference for future cases involving similar legal principles.
Court Peshawar High Court
Entities Involved Not available
Judges Ikramullah Khan, Muhammad Younis Thaheem
Lawyers Pir Liaqat Ali Shah, Yaqoob Marwat, Masood Iqbal, Qudratullah Khan Gandapur, Anwarul Haq, Mirzali Khan
Petitioners Inayatullah, Muhammad Younis Thaheem
Respondents The State
Citations 2016 SLD 3848, 2016 YLR 2020
Other Citations Mohammad Akram v. The State 2009 SCMR 230, Tariq Parvez v. The State 1995 SCMR 1345, Mohammad Luqman v. The State PLD 1970 SC 10, Islam Badshah and 2 others v. The State PLD 1993 Pesh. 7
Laws Involved Penal Code (XLV of 1860)
Sections 302(b), 324