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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---Single circumstance creating doubt in prosecution case. The principle of benefit of doubt is a settled rule of criminal jurisprudence that the prosecution is bound to prove its case against an accused beyond reasonable doubt. 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 prosecution is required to establish a complete chain of evidence and every link of such chain must be free from doubt. The accused is entitled to benefit of doubt as a matter of right and not as a matter of grace or concession. Even one reasonable doubt arising from any circumstance, including contradictions, procedural lapses, doubtful recoveries, unreliable witnesses or absence of corroboration, is sufficient to entitle the accused to acquittal. The Supreme Court reiterated that it is not necessary that multiple circumstances should create doubt; rather, existence of even a single doubt in the prosecution case is enough to extend benefit of doubt to the accused. Accordingly, where prosecution fails to prove guilt beyond the shadow of doubt, the accused must be acquitted.

Other judgments reported in 2026 SCMR

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