ABDUL LATIF KHAN, J:- Petitioners Haji Rafeed Gul, Zafar & Touseef seek post arrest bail in case FIR No.33 dated 28.01.2015, registered u/s 384/387/506/34 PPC, at P.S. Bilitang.
2. As per prosecution case, complainant Sharif Khan through written application lodged report against petitioners for extortion, criminal intimidation, threatening the peoples of the area and keeping them in fear of death and that the petitioners also belong to Qabza group/land grabbers and deals with such business. Consequently on the basis of his written report instant FIR was registered against the petitioners.
Arguments heard record perused.
3. Perusal of record reveals that regarding the allegations of extortion, land grabbing etc there is no evidence on record which could connect the petitioners with the commission of offence. Mere allegation is not sufficient to establish the guilt of petitioners when there is no evidence of any such person whose land was grabbed forcibly by petitioners or from whom any demand of extortion has been made.
4. Admittedly civil litigations are pending between the parties in Courts therefore, due to said civil litigation, false implication of petitioners in the instant case by complainant cannot be ruled out.
The offences with which the petitioners are charged do not fall under the prohibitory clause of Section 497(1) Cr.PC, therefore, in view of the principle laid down by the Hon'ble Apex Court in the case of "Tarici Bashir & 05 others Vs. The State" (PLD 1995 SC 34) in all the cases which are not punishable with 10 years imprisonment or above, grant of bail is a rule and refusal is an exception.
Mere involvement of petitioners in the criminal case does not bar the concession of bail to him and every case has to be decided on its own merits. In the instant case, the prosecution has failed to make out a case against the petitioners who despite remaining in police custody have made no confession before the competent Court. They are behind the bar since their arrest and no more required to the local police for further investigation therefore keeping them behind the bar would serve no useful purpose.
5. In view of what has been observed above, this petition is allowed and all the petitioners are admitted to bail provided they furnish bail bond to the tune of Rs.5,00,000/- each with two sureties each in the like amount to the satisfaction of trial Court concerned who shall ensure that the sureties are local, reliable and men of means.