IMRAN vs STATE — 2026 SCMR 47 SUPREME-COURT

Case information

Citation: 2026 SCMR 47 SUPREME-COURT
Court: Supreme Court of Pakistan
Year: 2026
Reporter: SCMR
Parties: IMRAN vs STATE
Subject matter: Criminal

Fields are extracted from the reported citation and judgment text. Where a detail is not stated in the record, it is not shown.

Judgment text as reported

IMRAN VS STATE. Benefit of doubt---Principle---Scope and application in criminal cases. The settled principle of criminal jurisprudence is that the prosecution is bound to prove its case against the accused beyond reasonable doubt. The accused is entitled to benefit of doubt as a matter of right and not as a matter of grace. Held: If there is a single circumstance which creates doubt in the prosecution case, then the same would be sufficient to acquit the accused. The principle of benefit of doubt requires that every reasonable doubt arising from the prosecution evidence must be resolved in favour of the accused. It is not necessary for the accused to prove his innocence; rather, the prosecution has the duty to establish guilt through reliable, confidence-inspiring and unimpeachable evidence. In the present case, various circumstances including doubtful presence of eye-witnesses, lack of specific attribution of injury, absence of reliable corroboration, deficiencies in forensic evidence and failure to establish motive created serious doubts in the prosecution case. The Supreme Court reiterated that conviction cannot be maintained on the basis of suspicion, conjectures or probabilities. Where the evidence creates even a reasonable doubt regarding the guilt of the accused, such doubt must be extended in favour of the accused. Circumstances established that the prosecution had failed to prove its case against the petitioner beyond the shadow of doubt. Appeal against conviction was allowed, in circumstances.

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