TASSADUQ HUSSAIN JILANI, J:---Muhammad Ashraf alias Kalia son of Ahmad A.I, Sohail Kamran son of Haji Taj Muhammadand Zaki Shah son of Taqqi Shah were tried by learned Additional Sessions Judge, Khanpur, for the murder of Hassan A.I Raza who, vide his judgment dated 30-11- 1993 convicted Muhammad Ashraf under section 302, P.P,C, and sentenced him to death. Sohail Kamran and Zakki Shah accused were, however, given the benefit of doubt and acquitted.
2. Murder Reference No.34/1993 seeks confirmation of the death sentence awarded to Muhammad Ashraf whereas through Criminal Appel No.88 of 1993 the said convict has impugned the afore- referred judgment. The Murder Reference and the Criminal Appeal are being disposed of together through this single judgment.
3. The occurrence in the present case took place during the night 18/19-4-1991 at about 9/10 p. m. In the Railway Hockey Ground, Khanpur, about one kilometre away from Police Station City Khpur.
TheF.I.R. (Exh.PG/1) was recorded on the receipt of a written application (Exh.PG) presented by Ghulam Raza (P.W. 2) father of the deceased at 8-30 a.m. On 19-4-1991. As per F.I.R., the complainant received an information on 19-4-1991 at 7-30 a.m. That his son Hassan A.I Raza was lying dead in the Railway Ground. The complainant alongwith Mohsin A.I Raza, Shaukat A.I Raza, Ghulam Abbas, Noor Hussain and Qurban Hussain etc. Reached the Railway Ground and found his son Hassan A.I Raza lying dead. It was further stated in the F.I.R. That the complainant had come to know that on the previous night his son alongwith Atif son of Rashid was seen in the' Baithak of Muhammad Hussain and Muhammad Ashraf (appellant), Asghar and Abdul Karim were also seen with them. He suspected that his son had been done to death by a fanatic group of Anjuman Sipah-e-Sahaba who had earlier resorted to firing at Hassan A.I Raza deceased.
4. After recording the formal F.I.R. (Exh.PG/1) Muhammad Mushtaq, Inspector C.I.A. (P.W.13) went to the place of occurrence, prepared inquest report (Exh.PL), prepared site plan (Exh.PM), secured the blood-stained earth vide memo. (Exh.PH), secured six empty cartridges (Exhs. P.8/1 to 6) and alive cartridge (P.9) vide memo Exh. PJ. He partly investigated the case, the investigation was also conducted by Ghulam Farid S.I. (P. W.16) and Ashiq Muhammad S.I./S.H.O. (P.W.10).
5. Muhammad Ashraf accused led to the recovery of pistol (P-1) vide memo. Exh.PD on 7-5-1991 and yet another pistol (P-5) was also recovered at his instance vide memo. Exh. PE. Both these weapons were recovered from his house and they were witnessed by Ghulam Akbar (P.W.1), Amjad A.I (P.W.15) and Ghulam Farid S.I. (P.W.16). On the same day, Sohail Kamran led to the recovery of mauser (P.6) alongawith two magzines (P.7/1 to 2) which were taken into possession vide memo.
Exh.PF.
6. The empties were sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory and the report received is Exh.PS which is positive. On 7-5-1991 all the accused, while in the police custody, separately pointed out the place of occurrence and the memos. Of pointation of the place of occurrence were separately prepared as Exhs.PA, PB and PC.
7. The prosecution case consists of the following evidence:---
(a) Last seen evidence furnished by:---
(i) Mohsin A.I Raza (P.W.4) brother of the deceased;
(ii) Shahid Raza (P.W.5);
(iii) Muhammad Hussain (given up).
(b) Evidence of extra-judicial confession which consists of:---
(i) Ghulam Raza (P.W.2);
(ii) Muhammad Jamal (P.W.9);
(iii) Rahim Bakhsh (given up);
(iv) Ghulam Sarwar (P.W.7). His evidence is against Zakki Shah accused only;
(v) Fida Hussain (P.W.8). His evidence is against Sohail Kamran accused only; and
(vi) Habibullah (given up).
8. The statement of Mohsin A.I Raza (P.W.4) who is real brother of the deceased is that on the day of occurrence at about 8-45/9-00 p.m. He reached near the drawing room of Muhammad Hussain and saw Muhammad Ashraf alias Kalia, Sohail Kamran and Zakki Shah accused standing there. His brother Hassan A.I Raza deceased was also with them. On his query, his brother had told him that he would return after a walk with his afore-referred friends. Shahid Raza (P.W.5) is yet another witness of last seen evidence. He stated that he saw Sohail Karnran, Zakki Shah and Muhammad Ashraf alias Kalia accused near the shop of cigarette. Hassan A.I Raza deceased was also with them. According to him, he heard Muhammad Ashraf alias Kalia accused demanding Rs.1,500 from Hassan A.I Raza deceased. Wazir Hussain (P.W.6) stated that on the fateful evening when he reached near the Baithak of Dr. Junejo, near the railway ground, he saw Sohail Kamran, Muhammad Ashraf alias Kalia and Zakki Shah accused running. Faiz P.W. Tried to stop them but the accused threatened him not to come near them otherwise he would be murdered.
9. Coming to the evidence of extra judicial confession, the statement of Ghulam Raza (P.W.2) is to the effect that on 24-4-1991 when he was sitting in his house alongwith Syed Jamal, Rais Rahim Bakhsh, Muhammad Ashraf alias Kalia came to him. He disclosed that Hassan A.I Raza deceased was his fast friend and he owed Rs.1,500 to Zakki accused. He confessed that he alongwith other co-accused conspired to murder Hassan A.I Raza on account of non---payment of Rs.1,500. His statement was sought to be corroborated by Ghulam Sarwar (P.W.7) who stated that Zakki Shah accused came to him when he was sitting with Mukhtar Hussain and made a confession that he alongwith other co---accused had committed the murder of Hassan A.I Raza deceased as he had not returned Rs.1,500 to him. Fida Hussain (P.W.8) is yet another witness of extra---judicial confession but with regard to Sohail Kamran accused only who stands acquitted. Syed Muhammad Jamal (P.W.9) corroborated the statement of Ghulam Raza (P.W.2) qua the extra- judicial confession of Muhammad Ashraf alias Kalia accused/appellant.
10. The post-mortem examination of Hassan A.I Raza deceased was conducted by Dr. Muhammad Suleman (P.W.12) who found the following injuries on his person:--- "(1) Circular wound everted margin 1 x 1 c.m. On the left chest anteriorly 3 c.m. Below of left nipple in mid claveicular line.
(2) Circular fire-arm wound with inverted margin with blackening and burning at the level of 11th intercostal space 2 c.m. Posterior to right axillary line.
(3) A fire-arm wound irregular margin spliting ear pina into two halfs entering 1/2 c.m. Above left external auditary meatus. There is blackening, burning and charing of the wound margins.
(4) A lacerated wound (exact wound) 2-1/2 c.m. x 1-1/2 c.m. On the right tempro prital region, bleeding with fracture of skull present 8 c.m. Above right external ear.
(5) A circular wound 1-1/2 x 1 c.m. Below right nipple everted margin.
(6) A circular wound 1 x 1 c.m. With blackening and totooing on the back of left chest at the level of 6th rib 10 c.m. Away from vertibral column (exact wound).
(7) A fire-arm entry wound 1-1/2 c.m. x 1/2 c.m. Inverted margin with blackening on interior surface left arm 8 c.m. Above left elbow joint.
(8)An exact wound 2 c.m. x 1-1/2 c.m. Everted margin on the interior surface of left arm close to injury No.7 slightly on middle side.
(9) An entry wound 1-1/2`c.m. x 1-1/2 c.m. On the upper edge of left sternomastoid muscle.
(10) An exit wound with everted margin oval shape 2 c.m. x 1-1/2 c.m. On the upper end of right sternomastoid muscle.
(11) An oval fire-arm wound 1-1/2 c.m. x 1 c.m. Inverted margin on the lateral aspect of left thigh 9 c.m. Below left hip joint. Blackening present.
(12) An exit wound 2 c.m. x 1-1/2 c.m. On the posterior surface of left thigh 13 c. m. Below left hip joint.
Margins everted."
According to him the cause of death were injuries Nos.2, 3 and 6 which led to shock and haemorrhage and ultimate death.
11. The accused when examined under section 342, Cr.P.C. Denied the prosecution story and attributed false implication due to enmity.
12. The learned counsel for the appellant, in support of his appeal, raised the following points:---
(i) That in the F.I.R. (Exh.PG/1); the complainant had suspected that Anjuman Sipah-e-Sahaba is involved in the murder of his son but the Investigating Officer did not make any investigation on this aspect;
(ii) That the report of the Fire-arm Expert is contradictory with regard to the confession made by the accused. According to Exh.PS, the crime empty of .30 bore pistol (marked as C1) was fired from pistol (P.1). The crime empties of .30 bore pistol (marked as C2 to C6) were fired from .30 bore pistol (marked as P2). The pistols P1 and P2 were allegedly recovered from Muhammad Ashraf accused whereas according to the confessional statement, three fire-arms were fired by Sohail Kamran and three fires were made by Muhammad Ashraf at the person of Hassan A.I Raza deceased;
(iii) The evidence of 'last seen' is repellent to common sense. It is strange as to why Shaukat A.I, Mohsin A.I and Shahid Raza (P.W.) who had allegedly seen the deceased alongwith the accused on the preceding night did not inform the complainant till 11-00 a.m. The next day when the dead body had already been recovered and despatched;
(iv) The manner in which the accused Muhammad Ashraf had allegedly made extra-judicial confession before Ghulam Raza (P.W.2) father of the deceased is not believable. Strangely enough all the accused allegedly made confessional statements before different persons on the same day and near about the same time.
13. Learned counsel for the State has defended the impugned judgment. As according to him it is a case of circumstantial evidence and the prosecution case stands proved beyond a shadow of doubt.
14. We have gone through the evidence, with the assistance of the learned counsel for the parties and have given anxious thoughts to the arguments addressed at the bar.
15. The evidence of last seen furnished by P.W.4 Mohsin A.I Raza (brother of the deceased) and Shahid Raza does not appeal to common sense. For instance P.W.4 in his cross-examination admits that when the police took the dead body of Hassan A.I Raza deceased to the hospital about 400/500 persons had gathered there and till the arrival of the police he did not narrate the story that he had seen the accused persons with Hassan A.I Raza deceased on the preceding night at about 9-00 p.m. Similarly even P.W.5 Shahid Raza did not inform the father of Hassan A.I Raza deceased i.e. P.W.2 about his having last seen the deceased in the company of the accused. The withholding of this important piece of evidence by P.Ws.4 and 5 from the complainant (P.W.2) would make their having seen the deceased in the company of the accused rather doubtful.
16. The manner in which the extra-judicial confession was allegedly made by Muhammad Ashraf alias Kalia accused/appellant is repellent to common sense. It is in evidence that after the murder, raids were being conducted for the arrest of Muhammad Ashraf accused. No sane person would go to the father of deceased within four days of the occurrence and make a confession that he had murdered his son i.e. Hassan A.I Raza. There was absolutely no occasion for him to adopt such a course.
17. The evidence of crime empties having been recovered from the place of occurrence is also not free from doubt. Those empties do not find any mention in the F.I.R. Even in the police Ziminis the recovery of empties from the place of occurrence has not been mentioned and this is born out from the statement of P.W.13 Muhammad Mushtaq Inspector.
18. It is in evidence that Muhammad Ashraf alias Kalia accused remained in police custody from 24-4-1991 to 7-5-1991. Surprisingly no recovery could be effected during this period. The recovery of pistols (P1) and (P5) from him on 7-5-1991 is rather doubtful.
19. For what has been discussed above, we are of the considered view that the prosecution has failed to establish the case against Muhammad Ashraf alias Kalia appellant beyond a shadow of doubt to sustain a charge of capital punishment. He is, therefore, acquitted and shall be released forthwith if not detained in any other case. Death sentence not confirmed.