MAHMOOD AHMAD and others vs THE STATE
The petitioners, facing trial under sections 302, 149, and 148 of the Pakistan Penal Code 1860, sought leave to appeal against the High Court's order cancelling the bail previously granted to them by the Sessions Judge. The core legal question concerned the propriety of cancelling bail and the potential prejudice caused by strong observations made by the High Court during the cancellation proceedings. The Supreme Court of Pakistan declined to interfere with the cancellation of bail as the trial had already commenced and two witnesses had been examined, holding that it would be improper to consider the merits of bail at this advanced stage. However, the Court addressed the grievance regarding the High Court's uncautioned remarks, holding that such observations must be treated as strictly tentative and ad hoc, relevant solely to the bail matter. The key principle laid down is that observations made during bail proceedings must not influence the trial court in determining the guilt or innocence of the accused, which must be decided entirely on the evidence adduced during the trial. Consequently, leave to appeal was refused with cautionary directions to the trial court.
- Whether the Supreme Court will interfere with the cancellation of bail when the trial has already commenced and witnesses have been examined?
- Do observations made by a superior court in a bail matter prejudice the trial court's determination of guilt or innocence?
- How should a trial court treat observations made by an appellate or revisional court in a bail order during the ongoing trial?
- Section 302, Pakistan Penal Code 1860
- Section 149, Pakistan Penal Code 1860
- Section 148, Pakistan Penal Code 1860
ORDER
' SAAD SAOOD JAN, J.---The petitioners are facing trial in the Court of the Sessions Judge at Okara on charges under section 302 read with section 149, and section 148, Pakistan Penal Code. They were granted bail by the learned Sessions Judge on the ground mainly that in the challan submitted by the prosecuting agency they had been placed in column No,2 and that no overt act had been attributed to them during the course of the occurrence. On an application moved by the complainant the High Court cancelled the bail granted to them by the learned trial Court. They seek leave to appeal from this Court.
2. The trial of the petitioners has already commenced and two witnesses have been examined. It will not be proper for us at this stage to consider the question of bail lest any observations made by us should influence the trial Court one way or the other.
3. The learned counsel for the petitioner's points out that in his order the learned Single Judge who cancelled the bail has made observations which are likely to divert the course of justice. We have gone through the order and unfortunately we find substance in his assertion. The learned Judge has expressed himself very strongly on certain aspects of the case without adding the usual cautions that the observations he is recording are of tentative nature and are relevant only for the purpose of the disposal- of the bail application. This omission on the part of the learned Judge can possibly adverse at the petitioners at the trial. In the circumstances, we direct the trial Court that it should take the observations of the learned Single Judge entirely as of ad hoc nature, relevant only for the purpose of the disposal of the bait-application. It should not allow anything said in the order of the learned Judge to influence it while determining the question of guilt or innocence of the petitioner and that the decision on this question should be based wholly on the appreciation of the evidence led before it during the trial. With these observations leave is refused.
Cited by 3 cases
- Afraz Gul vs The State 2020 P Cr. L J 912
- MUHAMMAD ARIF Versus STATE 2001 YLR 2580
- ATA ULLAH Versus THE STATE 2000 PLD 364