LHC acquits murder convict

The Lahore High Court (LHC) has acquitted a man sentenced to life imprisonment for murder, ruling that similarities in physical appearance and height were insufficient to sustain a conviction when CCTV footage failed to clearly establish the assailant's identity.

Justice Amjad Rafiq, in a written judgment on an appeal filed by Raja Shahid, held that CCTV footage was important documentary evidence in criminal cases, but its evidentiary value depended on whether the person concerned could be reliably identified.

The court observed that the facial features of the person seen firing at the deceased were not clearly visible in the footage. It ruled that a murder conviction could not be upheld solely on the basis of similarities in physical build and height.

The judgment stated that an accused did not need to establish multiple doubts to secure an acquittal, as a single reasonable doubt was sufficient to extend the benefit of doubt.

It further observed that where a person's face was not clearly visible in video footage, expert analysis and other reliable evidence assumed particular importance.