The High Court of Lahore canceled a man’s condemnation in a rape case, invoking great gaps in the accusation, in particular delayed reports, contradictions in declarations and a lack of medico-legal corroboration.
Judge Abher Gul Khan, while granting the benefit of the doubt, acquitted the accused Ammanullah, who has subverted by a court of first instance of Gujrat. The court noted that the alleged incident had taken place on October 4, 2016, but the FIR was deposited ten days later without any explanation.
The complainant also made contradictory statements, first alleging that the accused had threatened to publish a video, but later denying such a complaint.
The medical examination was carried out 11 days after the incident and showed no sign of violence. The Punjab Forensic Science Agency medical-legal tests have also found any sperm and have excluded sexual intercourse.
In addition, a CD produced during the trial did not contain any video, while the photographs submitted as evidence did not show the accused’s face. Even the alleged torn clothes of the victim have never been presented.
Earlier, an additional session judge in Gujrat had sentenced the accused on the basis of an IFR, registered in the Jalalpur Jattan City police station under article 376-i PPC, to grant life for life, a fine of 50,000 rupees and compensation from RS300,000.
Quoting precedents of the Supreme Court, the LHC judged that the convictions could not resist without “irreproachable evidence” and that even a single reasonable doubt must benefit the accused.
Concluding that the accusation has not proven the crime, the court canceled the conviction and acquitted Amanullah. Since the appellant was already on bail, his deposit was released.
