Lahore, Pakistan (HRNW)- The Supreme Court of Pakistan has delivered a landmark judgment in a 15-year-old murder case stemming from a dispute over 2,500 rupees at a clothing shop, acquitting Naeem Arshad, also known as Pappu, and ordering his immediate release. The court overturned the Lahore High Court’s November 29, 2017, decision, while the trial court had sentenced Naeem Arshad to 25 years in prison in 2015.
The three-judge bench, comprising Justice Hashim Khan Kakad, Justice Salahuddin Panhwar, and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim, noted that the presence of the complainant at the scene was suspicious, visibility was poor due to complete darkness, and no source of light had been recorded. The bench observed that the incident did not occur as described and called the case mysterious.
According to the investigation officer, the fire was not discharged by Naeem Arshad but by Shehbaz Ali, and shell casings recovered from the scene matched those found with Shehbaz Ali, who had already been acquitted by the trial court. Neither the state nor the complainant appealed that acquittal.
The bench also noted that failure to produce witnesses in court negatively affected the prosecution’s credibility.
The incident occurred on March 14, 2011, in Sahiwal, when the victim Muhammad Anwar was shot and killed at a clothing shop in March 2014. According to the complainant, the dispute arose two days prior over 2,500 rupees owed for clothes.
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