Law: Criminal Procedure Code (V of 1898)

Section: 561-A

Criminal Procedure Code (V of 1898) S. 561-A-Criminal trial- Delay-Quashment of proceedings Case pending trial for about 6 years without a single prosecution witness being examined-Proceedings quashed. Muhammad Hussain v. State P L D 1959 Lah. 322; Wali Muhammad v. The State P L D 1959 Pesh. 191; Muhammad Rafi Pervez v. The State P L D 1960 Lah. 986; The State v. Ghulam Hussain and others P L D 1963 Kar. 679; Abdul Haque v. The State P L D 1964 Lah. 246; Amanullah Khan and others v. The State P L D 1965 Kar. 310 and State v. Pario 1972 P Cr. L J 915 rel. Date of bearing : 28th February 1973.                                                                                                                              ORDER This is an application under section 561-A, Cr. P. C. by Mst. Ismat Nisar, Mst. Ghulab Bano, Maqbool Hussain, Mst. Afzal Khatoon, Muhammad Rates, Phul Bahar, Mst. Resham Khatoon, Mst. Alam Khatoon, Amir Khan, Haq Nawaz and Hakam Khan, for the quashment of proceedings under sections 148. 307/366/436/149, P. P. C. pending against them in the Court of Mr. Ali Safdar Kazmi, Assistant Commissioner, Jhelum. 2. The facts of the case briefly are that early in the morning on 14-9-1966, one Sher Jang lodged an F.I.R. No. 51 at Police Station Kallar Kahar, District Jhelum, alleging that present petitioners Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10 and 11 alongwith Mian Khan and Muhammad Khan (not petitioners in the present application) came to the house of the complainant at about sunrise, committed rioting, set the house of the complainant on fire and allegedly abducted Mst. Feroze Bi (grand-daughter of the complainant) and Mst. Anar Bi (daughter-in-law, of the complainant). Consequently a case under sections 149, 307/366/436/149, P. P. C. was registered against the petitioners. Another F.I.R. (No. 52) was lodged on the same evening at about 5-00 p.m. by…