MAQSUD vs THE STATE
This matter arises from a bail petition filed by the petitioner, Maqsood, who is facing charges under sections 17 and 18(a) of the Emigration Ordinance, 1979, registered vide F.I.R. No. 122 of 2011 at Police Station FIA/AHTC, Peshawar, after being accused of handling a fake protector stamp. The core legal question is whether the petitioner is entitled to post-arrest bail when the alleged offence does not fall within the prohibitory clause of section 497(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, and investigation is complete. The Peshawar High Court held that since the offence carries punishment not falling within the restrictive part of section 497(1), Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, or fine, and the petitioner has no prior criminal record and is no longer required for investigation, the case warrants the grant of bail. The key principle laid down is that where an offence does not fall within the prohibitory clause of section 497(1), Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898, and imprisonment is not a certainty given the potential for a fine, pre-trial incarceration should generally be avoided.
- Is an accused entitled to bail when the charged offence does not fall within the restrictive part of section 497(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898?
- Does the absence of a prior criminal record and completion of investigation favor the grant of post-arrest bail?
- Can bail be granted when the punishment for the alleged offence may only entail a fine rather than substantive imprisonment?
- Section 17, Emigration Ordinance 1979
- Section 18(a), Emigration Ordinance 1979
- Section 497(1), Code of Criminal Procedure 1898
' SHAH JEHAN, KHAN YOUSAFZAI, J.---The petitioner is facing charge under sections 17/18(a) of Emigration Ordinance, 1979, vide case F.I.R. No,122 of 2011 registered at Police Station FIA/AHTC, Peshawar. The petitioner was refused bail by the Special Judge (Central) Anti-Corruption and Emigration, 'Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Peshawar, hence this petition for the said relief.
2. Case of the prosecution is that Wazir Gul, the father of Shahidur Rahman, brought the passport of Shahidur Rahman along with employment visa to Chand Tara Travel. Agency and 11.Pcled over the same to Arif for issuing him travel ticket and protector along with Rs, 22,500. The said Arif handed over the passport and visa along with Rs,7,500 as protector fee to Maqsood Khan agent (the petitioner) but the said protector was subsequently found fake, whereafter an inquiry was held the allegation of fake protector was verified. The case was registered and the petitioner was taken into custody.
3. Learned counsel for petitioner submitted that passport along with visa was entrusted to Arif and not to, petitioner but Arif has not been arrayed as accused. The offence carries substantive imprisonment not falling within the restrictive part of section 497(1), Cr.P.C. Or with fine or both.
Being a petty matter, there is no hope of awarding substantive imprisonment to the petitioner and the petitioner is no more required for investigation and has never been involved in identical case.
4. The learned D.A.G. (Federal) submits that investigation has already been completed and the trial Court could be directed to conclude the trial expeditiously.
5. Without commenting upon the case of prosecution, suffice it to say that the offence, for which the petitioner is charged, carries substantive punishment not falling within the restrictive part of section 497(1), Cr.P.C. Or fine. If the trial Court keeping in view the facts and circumstances of the case found the petitioner guilty of the offence, award him punishment in the shape of fine, he could not be compensated for his liberty. The offence does not fall within the restrictive part of section 497(1), Cr.P.C. And the petitioner has got no criminal history of identical nature cases and petitioner is no more required for investigation. I, therefore, admit the petitioner to be released on bail provided he furnishes bail bonds in the sum of Rs,50,000 with two sureties each in the like amount to the satisfaction of Special Judge Emigration.
Cited by 3 cases
- SOHAIL YOUNAS vs STATE etc. PLJ 2015 Cr.C. (Islamabad) 774
- SOHAIL YOUNAS vs The STATE and others 2015 P Cr. L J 563
- Sohail Younas. vs The State, etc. 2015-IHC-53