Law: Pakistan Penal Code (PPC),1860

Section: 302, 395, 109, 148, 149

Law: Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898

Section: 173, 342, 340(2), 382-B, 544-A

Law: Qanun-e-Shahadat Order, 1984

Section: 155

 Summary The appellant challenged his conviction for murdering his son-in-law during a reconciliation meeting arising out of a matrimonial dispute. The Lahore High Court found numerous contradictions in the prosecution evidence regarding the timing of the FIR, preparation of the inquest report, transportation of the deceased, place of preparation of police documents, testimony of eyewitnesses, and custody of forensic evidence. The Court also found that the ballistic evidence was unreliable because the prosecution failed to prove safe custody of the recovered weapon and crime empties. Holding that these defects created reasonable doubt, the Court extended the benefit of doubt to the appellant, set aside his conviction, and acquitted him. Tagline Material contradictions, doubtful FIR, defective investigation, unreliable forensic evidence and broken chain of custody entitle the accused to benefit of doubt and acquittal. ORDER; AALIA NEELUM, C.J: The appellant, Muhammad Haneef, son of Ghulam Muhammad, caste Ridhani, resident of Chak No.586/G.B., Tehsil Jaranwala, District Faisalabad, has assailed his conviction and sentence recorded by the learned Additional Sessions Judge, Jaranwala, vide judgment dated 30.11.2021, in a private complaint filed under sections 302, 395, 109, 148, 149 P.P.C., at Police Station, City Jaranwala, District Faisalabad. The trial court convicted the appellant, Muhammad Hanif, under section 302(b) P.P.C. and sentenced him to undergo imprisonment for life, with the direction to pay Rs.5,00,000/- as compensation to the legal heirs of the deceased under section 544-A of Cr.P.C. The benefit of section 382-B Cr.P.C. was also extended in favor of the appellant. Feeling aggrieved by the learned trial court's judgment, the appellant has assailed his conviction by filing the instant appeal, Criminal Appeal No. 81569-J of 2021. Briefly, the prosecution story as alleged in the private complaint (Ex. PB) of Alam Sher (PW-1), the complainant, is that there was a conjugal dispute between Amir and Mah Jabeen (son and daughter-in-law of the complainant). On 02.05.2019, Alam Sher (PW-1), the complainant, along with Bashir Ahmad and Muhammad Saleem,…