Mst. Asia Kosar Vs The State

Judqment Sheet

PESHAWAR HIGH COURT,ABBOTTABAD BENCH.

JUDICIAL DEPART,/IIENT

Cr.A No.85-A of 2016

JUDGA/IENT

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ii,:.,tottilL:nl ... (lhc Sltle e l() ht' M/s l;izztt y'hmad Ni:ami. ,\tula tntrn.vcl untl .\.tvrl L'tr'r'tr1tr.: Nuqvi. ,1dt:ocult'.for complainanl... ... ... ...

SYI'D MT]IIAMMAI) A1'1'rO U1,1, SIlAlI..l:- NIst.

Asia Kosar'. appcllant was tricci by thc lcarncd Adtlitional Scssions Juclgc-lV. Abhottabad. itr i asc li.l.lt No. l19 datcd 06.01 .2013 {irr tirc ol-l'cncc unclcr scclion 302 I'l'C, I)olicc Station Ilakot, I)istliet Abbottabad. ia,hich trial was ultimalcly culrr,inatcd upon hcr conviction and shc was scntcnccd utrdcr scction 302(b) I'}l'C to irnprisonnrcnt lbr lilc on thrcc counls lirr 'Qatt-i-lmd' ol hcr cl'rildlcn, natrtt'ir .

llashir.n, Samccr and Mst. Shumainr Ilibi' Ilcnclll ol' scction i82-ll Cr.l'.C was also cxtcndccl t<l tl'rc appcllant. Ilcing aggricvcd,, appcllar.rt zrssailcd t hc

judgmcnt and ordcr datcd 2U.05.20 l6 ol' tl.rc lcalncd tlial Court bclorc this Court in thc instant crinrinal appcal.

2.'l'hc lacts, as narratcd in thc l;.1.11.., lodgcd by Sultan Mchmood, complainant, in his housc on 0(t.01 .2013 at 03.00 AM, alc that lris marriagc tool< placc with Mst. Asia Kosar daughtcr ol- Mtthatnmad Nisar about 9/10 ycars back and out o1' thc wcdlocl<, thrcc childrcn, namcly, I Iashim Khan, agccl about 7/8 ycars, Samccr Khan,, agcd about 4/5 ycars and Shurrrairn Ilibi agcd ab<ttrl 3/'. ycars wcrc born; tllat thc attitudc o1'his witb was not propcr towards hirn a[1cr thc rnariagc and shc mostly usccl to lcavc thc housc bcing unhappy and livcd ir.r thc l.rousc ol'hcr parcnts and shc was brought back cvcry timc by thcn-r;

lhat two days bclorc 28.06.2013, hc can.rc back horrrc li'om his privatc job in a bungalow at Ayubia and whcn hc was going back on his duty on thal day, his rvile lltt'tat,.'rtetl hirn tlrat shc r'roulrl clo suclt u thing bcyoncl his imagination that hc would not cvcn scc his chiltlrcn; that on 05.07.2013 at 10.15 I'}M, his cldcr

brotlrcr, Khurram Shahzad convcycd hinr inlirrtrraLron on lris mobilc phonc to comc back honrc and rvhcn hc rcachcd homc, hc saw his thrcc childrcn lying dcad in thcir room; that on his qucry, hc was inlirnncd b1' his lathcr that alicr taking dinncr, thcy wcrc not lccling r.vcll and claughlcr Mst. Shurnaim dicd on thc spot, rvhilc othct' trn,o childrcn I Iashim ancl Samccr u'crc bcing takcn to hospilal. AS thcy \\,CfC constar-rtly vorriting. who wcrc passcd away on thc way; that hc bclicvcd that his wit'c had illicit rclations rvitl'r somconc, as a rcsult thcreof, shc gavc somc poison to tlrcnr and killccl thcm. 'l'hc rcport o['cotnplainant rvas lccolclcd by Khawa.l Muhamrnad l(han, SIIO (PW-7) in shapc ol- ' Murasila ' (Ii,x.llA), and thc casc was rcgistcrcd vidc lrlll (Ex.l'A/l ). l']W-7 also prcpalcd ir-r.jr-rry slrccts and inclucst rcports (lrx.l'}W 7/1 1.o lix.l)W 7/(r) ol-dcccascd childrcn, Mst. Shurrainr Ilibi, Ilashim and Samccr, rcspcctivcly, and scnt tl'rc clcad boclics to l)l IQ hospital, Abbottabad lirr postnrortcrrr cxzinU ).1atton

i

3.Dr. /)a Qamar, (PW-l) conductcd postnrortcm cxarlination ol'dcccascd I Iashim Kharr ancl Saurtcct ott 06.07.20 13 at 10.00 AM and 10.i0 nM, rcspcctivcly I)uring postmortcm cxaminalion, hc had takcn sarnplcs ol dj f'fbrcnt parts ol-lhc body o1'both thc dcccascd ancl kcpt pcncling his opinion till rcccipt o1' rcport o[' Iiolcnsic I-aboratory. 'l'hc probablc tirnc ll'rat clapsccl bclrvccn injury ancl clcath was 30 minutcs to onc hour and bctwccn dcath and postmor1cnl was mol'c than l2 hor"rrs

4.I)r. Nusrat Ara, (l'W-5) conductcd autopsy on thc dcad body ol-dcccasc Shun.raim Ilibi on 0(r.07 2013 at 9.-10 AM, who had lakcn spccitrcns o1' hcart, livcr, lung, ston'rach, kidncy small and largc intcstinc ol'thc dcccascd and handcd ovcr to policc for scndirlg thc samc 1tl thc l:orcnsic Scicncc Laboralory ancl shc also kcpt pcnding hcr opinion rcgarding causc o1'dcath till rcccipt o[' rcport o[' cxpcrl. Ilowcvct', lhi: plohablc timc that clapscd bctwccn injury and clcath was mcntioncci as 15 to 30 minutcs and bctwccn clcath ar-r d postmortcln was about l0 to l2 hours'

) Sal'ccl Ahrnad, ASI (l'W-l I )concluctccl invcstigation in 1hc prcscnt casc, who prcparcd sitc plan (lrx.l'W 1 1/l ), rccovcrics mctnos, whcrcby. thcc snlall bottlcs, towcls, Nokia Mobilc, two sims, olgans o1' thc dcccascd wcrc lakcn into posscssion by hinr, rccoldcd thc statcmcnts ol' I).Ws ar-rcl otrtaincd (ll)l{ data o1' two sims and collcctcd particulars o1' ot'tc Sha fic1-ur-ll.chman liom Nn DRA and obtainccl warrant unclcr scctior-r 204 and proclamation undcr scction 87 Or.l).(l against absconding accuscd Shalicl r-rr-llchnian and rcccivcd thc lorcnsic Scicncc Agcncy, l,ahorc (lrx.l'}W l1l24)

6 Mr. Irhitisham ul I laq l)anishmand Khan, thc thcn Judicial Magistratc-lll, Abbottabacl (PW-q) rccordccl conl'cssional statcmcnt o1- appcllant Mst. Asia K osar

1.Alicr complction ol- invcstigiition in thc casc, cornptctc 't:htrllan was submittcd by Muhamnrad Javccl Sl IO (PW-4) against thc appcllant bclorc thc lcarncd trial (lourt. Appcllant was lirrmally chargcd

by thc lcarncd trial Court {br car"rsir.r.q 'Qatl-i-lntcl' <tl' tl-rrcc clcccascci Shumaim llibi. I [ashirl and Samccr undcr scclion :102 PPC, to which shc plcadcd not guilty rind c la inr c-'d trial.

8.'l'hc prosccution, in ordcl kr provc its casc, cxamincd as lnany as clcvcn witncsscs, wl'ricl-r includc l)r. /,itr Qamar (l'W-l), Malik Mtrnir (l'>W-2), rvho was ncighbourcr ol'cotnplainant and ca)lccl by 1a1hcl ol' cornplainant on his mobilc phonc and inlirrnicd him abor-rt tl.rc inciclcnt, Muharntnad Arshad (l'W-3) was nrarginai witncss and hc had also irrcorporatcd [l'rc contcnts <tl'' ll4trrtts i I a' in lr.l.R (l)x.l'A/l ), M uhatntrad Javcd SI lO (PW-4), I)r. Nuslat Ara (PW-5), Muharnn.rad I)crvcz I IC (PW-6) rnarginal rvitncss to rccovcry rlcrno (lix.PW 3/2), Khawaj Muharnmacl S I ( PW-7), M uhan.rmad (iul istan, grancllathcr o 1' dcccascd childrcn (PW-ti), lrhtisham ul Ilacl l)anishmand Khan, lhi: thcn Jtrdicial Magistratc (PW-9) rccortlcd cor-r fcssional statcmcnt o1' appcllant Mst'Asia Kosar, Sultan Mchmoo<i, complainant (l'W-10) and Sultan Mchmoocl conrPlainant (PW-l I )'

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9.A(tcr closc o1' prosccr-rtion cviclcncc, stittcrrcnt o1'thc appc llanl/convict was rccordccl undcl Scctit.rr -142 Cr.l'}.C, rvhcrcin, shc dcnicd thc allcgations ol'thc plosccution and plcadcd innoccncc. Ilorvcvcr, shc ivishcri not kr producc dcl'cncc cvidcncc or lo appcar as 1'ris own witncss on Oath undcr scclion 340(2) Or.l'.(i

10.Algumcnts ol lcarncd counscl lbr thc partics I-rcard ancl rccord pcruscd with lhcir valuablc itsststancc.

I 1. In this unlodunalc and tragic incidcnt, thrcc n.rinor chilclrcn, namcly, Mst. Shrurraim []ibi, Ilashirl and Samccr havc lost thcir livcs and thc chargc ol'thcir Qatl-i-Amd was lcvclcd by thc complainant, l'athcr o1- 'l'hr:

dcccascd against hcr wil-c, thc prcscnt appcllant.

appcllant duling invcstigatior-r rccorclcd ircr conl'cssional statcmcnt, which was rccordccl by I'}W-9, who at tl-rc tirnc of occurrcncc was J udicial Magistratc.

Abbottabad. *'hcrcin, shc statcd that thc complainant ar thc timc ol lcaving hon-rc lbr his dr"rty gavc hcr a plastic bottlc by saying that mix thc satrc in "'4ir'tin j

( "f:Jt* i ) and adrninistcr it to thc childrcn and slrc coulcl not undcrsland that it was poison and shc thoLrght that it was a mcdicinc o['cougl-r ancl shc n-rixcd thc sarrc in " Ajwain"; that shc rct-naitrcd busl in rrarriagcs o1' l'arnily and on 05.07.2013, Samccr at thc timc o1' slccping askcd lbr "l j,,'crin" as hc was complainir.rg ol'pain in stomach; that shc picl<cd up thc borvl oJ' " ljwain" and Iirst o[' all I lashin, rrrovcd ]ris l-rand lirrw.ard [i>r thc samc; shc gavc ",4fwoin" t<t hitlt ancJ tlrcrcalicr shc also gavc thc samc alongn'ith watcr to othcr lwo childrcn. howcvcr, thc childrcn startcd wccping and shc callcd hcr Iathcr-in-law ( PW-tt), \V I VCS o1' youngcr and cldcr: brothcrs o1' conrplainant, who gavc thcn-r '1)esi Ghee' bul thcy could not survrvc and lost thcir livcs onc by onc and shc was not awiil'c that thc licluid mixcd rn "/ lwain" was poison, otlicrwisc shc rvould not havc administclcd thc satrc' 'l

12.hc only t.natcrial incriminating cvidcncc tn this casc againsl thc prcscnl appcllant is hcr' abovcrncntionccl con[i:ssional statculcnt bclilrc thc:

(lourt. I lorvcr,'cr, it is wcll scttlcd plinciplc o1'criminal

julispludcncc that whcncvcr prosccution is rclying on solitalv conltssional slatcmcnt ol- an accuscd in thc abscncc ol' clircot ocular account tir circurlstantial cviclg.rcc, thcn con f'cssional slatcmcnt is to bc acccptcd ol' rcjcctcd in wholc/toto. I Iowcvcr, rvhcrc dit'cct ocular account and circurlstantial cvirlct-tcc ts avail abl c. bcsidcs conlbssional slatcmcn t o I' accr-rscd, in that cvcntr-rality, thc portion ol' conl'cssional statcrrcnt, which is supporting thc vct'sion o 1- thc prosccution u,ould bc takcn inlo considcration. rvhcrcas, ot.hcr poltion o1' con{cssional slatcmcnt, whicl-r is inconsislcnt with it would not bc tal<cn irlto considcration. Ilcliancc rs placcd on casc tit lctl "(ian aramv crsus 'l'hc Statc ( I 999 l'.Cr.1,..1 ,190)" arrcl "Aiab Khan Vcrsus 'l'hc Statc (1995 Ml,l) I 199 Adrrittcdly, thcrc is no ocular or dircct cvidcncc against thc appcllant in this casc. l'his (lourt woulcl considcr thc conl'cssional statctncnt o1' tl-rc appcllant as a wholc, whcrcin, shc statcd that 1l.rc corr.rplainant at thc timc o1' lcaving homc lirr his duty gavc l-rcl a plastic bottlc by saying tl'rat mix lhc sar.trc

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witl-t " A_jwoin" and on thc cvcntlirl clay on tl.rc cornplainl of'pain in slotrach by Sarr-rccr, shc gavc thc sarnc t.o hirn as wcll as to thc othcr two childrcn which lcsr-rltccl into thcir dcalh. 'l'hc statcrxcnt o1' appcllant wor.rld bc takcn into considcratiorl in its cntircty and not rncrcly thc inculpatory part <l1- i1 to thc cxclusion ol- thc cxculpatory part unlcss thcrc is otlrct- rcliablc .l'hc cvidcncc which supplcrncnts thc prosccution casc.

crin-rinal cascs arc to bc dccidcd on 1l'rc basis ol'cogcnt and rcliablc and confidcncc inspiring cvidcncc and not orr thc basis ol' prcsumplions. lhc prosccution has produccd Muhamrnad (iulistan (PW-tl) grand I'athcl ol' dcccascd childlcn and nonc clsc liom othcr inlnatcs ol' thc housc was produccd. I'W (iulistan during cross- cxamination aclmirtcd that thc wilc o1- his son Khurarl usccl to gct rcady thc clcccascd chitdtcn lirr school and shc would givc thcrn lood whcn thcy rcturncd homc. as thc appcllanl ncvcr lookcd alicr hcl childrcn' Ik:

Iirrthct athiltccl that mostly wifc o1' Khurratr.r uscd to givc rncal to thc childrcn and on thc cvcr-rtlul clay, rvi l'c ol' Khurram, Mst. Sabiah Ilibi cookcd vcgctablcs and

thcy ali had thc samc dinncr including tlrc childrcn on that night. 'l'hc proscculion has Iailcd to cstablish allcgation ol' illicit rclations ol' thc appcllant rvith anybocly.'l'hc rclations ol' complair-rant and a1'rpcl)ant bcing I'rusband and wilc wcrc not cstablishcd to bc so sllaincd, rvlrich lbrccd thc appcllanl to such cxtcnl lo takc li t-c ol- hcl minor childrcn. No plausiblc rcason has bccn lurnishcd by thc proscculion, whiclr rn pcculiar l'acts and circumstanccs o[' thc prcscnt casc rvor"rlcl .iuslily such an act and that kro by a rrothcr I Iaving thus considcrcd in this back-grouncl, tl.ris (lourl has no doubt that tl-rc chargc against tl'rc appcilant l-ras not bccn provcd bcyond any shadow o1' rcasotrablc doubt

1i. It is rvcll scttlcd law that cvcn a sir.rg,lc dorrbt, i1' (bund rcasonablc, would cnlitlc thc accusccl pcrsolr to acclLrittal and not a combinalion o1'scvcral doubts Ilcliancc is p laccd on casc titlcd 'Ghulum Qurlir Vs.

't'he Stttc' (2008 SCMR 1221), whcrcin. i1 lras ht:ld tlrat:

"ll necc!s no reiler.tlion thttt litr tht l)ttrl)os(l o/ gi::ing bene/it o/ tloubl lo un r.rt:ttrrerl t

[x.t',tot']. more lhan one infirnit.l: i.: nol rcquirtcl. u .ringle in/i.rntitl. t:r'utittg reu.sonollle rktubt in lha mintl of u reasonuhle ond prutlent mind ragorLling the trttth o/ churge-mukers lhe whola casa doubt/il|. l,,fercly because tha burden i.s on ttct:u.vad to prove hi.y innocenca il Lloc.t tlol 11h-tt,lvt lltt J)t (t\(CUlit,n lt) l)t tt|t 1/t Li/\L uguin.st lhe uccused l:teyond ut1,:;hotlov, tt/ th'lthl itl thi: Jttl; Jot.t not (hLtn,:t t)t t'ttt r. itl lhc cu.se. "

lLcliancc is also placcd on casc lau,rcportcd as 2009 sCMIt 230 1995 SCMII 1345 2017 SCMIt 596 ancl 2017 SCMII 709. In this vicw o1't['rc rnattcr. 'l'hc lcarncd trial Courl has not propcrly apprcciatcd cvidcncc and thc law applicablc thcrcto, whicl.r nccds intcrIcrcncc by this Coult in its Appcllatc jurisdictiorr lo thal cxtcrrt.

14.'l'hus. in vicw ol'abovc discussion, this appcal is allowcd and thc conviction and scntcncc awardcd to thc appcliant arc sct asidc and shc is accluittcd o1'thc chargc lcvclccl against thcm in this casc, who bc lclcasccl lbrthu'ith. i f'not rccluircd in any othcr casc

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Abovc arc thc dctailcd rcasons lirr short orc]cr

ol lhis (lourt ol'cvcn datc

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(l)ri) Flr rusl.. La lan Khatuak Jnd 14r rusticc Syed 14utrnmnr.d nllrq!. striirl

Judgment Sheet

IN THE PESHAWAR HIGH COURT, ABBOTTABAD

BENCH

JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT

Cr.Appeal No. 8&N2016

JUDGMENT

Date of hearing 15.11.2018... ... ... ...

Appellant (Mst. Asia Kosa0 By Ms. Rabia Gul Awan, Advocate.

Respondent (State) By Ms. Fiza Ahmed Nizami, Advocate and (Complainant) By Syed Waqas Naqvi, Advocate.

SYED MUH AMMAD ATTIQUE SHAH. J..

For the reasons to be recorded later, this appeal is allowed. The conviction & sentence of appellant namely, Mst. Asia Kosar Wo Sultan Mehmood, recorded by the learned Additional Sessions Judge-lV, Abbottabad vide judgment dated 28.05.2016 in case FIR No. 1 't 9 dated 06.07.2013 registered at Police Station Bakot (Abbottabad) are set-aside and she is acquitted of the charge, leveled against her. She be released from Jail forthwith, if not required in any other case.

Announced:

1s.11.2018. 2*' tuo(je 4ar( JlJDGE