ORDER SHEET

IN THE HIGH COURT OF SINDH AT KARACHI
Criminal Bail Application No.3565 of 2025

[ Manthar son of Haji Khan Chandio versus The State ]

Criminal Bail Application No.3224 of 2025

[ Muhammad Asif son of Mubarak versus The State ]

DATE                 ORDER WITH SIGNATURE OF JUDGE(S)

 

For hearing of bail applications

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12.03.2026

Mr. Bahadur Shah, advocate for applicant in B.A. 3563/2025

Mr. Wajahat Ali, advocate for applicant in B. A. No.3224/2025

M/s Muntazir Mehdi, Acting Prosecutor General Sindh and Sharafuddin Kanhar, A.P.G.

Mr. Zahiruddin Mujahid, advocate for complainant

Additional Inspector General of Police Sindh Azan Khan, SP Investigation Muhammad Usman Sadozai, SP Abdul Baqi Rind of Shorab Goth and IO/PI Muhammad Hassan of PS Sachal

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Shamsuddin Abbasi, J.-- Applicants/accused Manthar son of Haji Khan Chandio and Muhammad Asif son of Mubarak seek post arrest bail in FIR No.1596 of 2025, registered at P.S. Sachal for offence under Sections 395, PPC, after dismissal of his bail plea by learned Additional Sessions Judge-VIII, Malir vide orders dated 27.11.2025.

 

2.         Brief facts of the prosecution case as narrated in the FIR by the complainant are that her sister came and disclosed that her husband, Muhammad Ashfaq had travelled abroad for some work; on 25.09.2025 at about 3:30 a.m., she and her children were alone in house when six persons dressed in shalwar Kameez, two of whom were wearing Sindhi caps, entered in her house and confined the inmates of house and forcibly robbed approximately 20 tolas gold, cash amount Rs.6,000,000/- (Rupees six million), prize bonds worth Rs.500,000, snatched mobile phone of chowkidar Asif, containing SIM No.0305-9833824. They held children hostage for about one hour, intimidated them, extended threats of murder and later escape away. Upon receipt of information, police mobile arrived at spot, Crime Scene Unit also reached there. Hence the subject FIR.

 

3.         Learned Advocate for applicant mainly contended that applicants are innocent and they have been falsely implicated in this case due mala fide intentions and ulterior motives; that applicants are not nominated in the FIR; that nothing incriminating has been recovered from the applicants/accused; that there is no independent material available on record to connect the applicants/accused with the alleged offence; that no overt act has been attributed to the applicants/accused; that allegation of abetment is general in nature and there is no direction evidence to connect them with the alleged offence; the investigation has been finalized and no physical custody of the applicants/accused is required by the police; that alleged offence does not come with the ambit of prohibitory clause of section 497, Cr.PC; thereby making it a matter in which grant of bail is a rule and refusal an exception; that learned trial Court has already granted bail to the co-accused and the present applicants/accused are also entitled for same relief.

 

4.         On the other hand, learned A.P.G., assisted by learned counsel for complainant, submitted that applicants/accused are members of a gang involved in several of FIRs of like nature; that there is no delay in registration of FIR, as such, there is a sufficient material available on the record to connect the applicants with the commission of the alleged offense; that complainant has moved application for cancellation of bail granted to co-accused Darya Khan, which is pending before this Court and will move application for cancellation of bail of other co-accused. He prayed for dismissal of instant pre-arrest bail application.

 

5.         Heard learned counsel for the parties and have perused the material available on record.

 

6.         No doubt the FIR was registered against the unknown persons, however, during investigation it has come on record that applicant Manthar is driver whereas applicant/accused Asif is security guard at an under construction building, adjacent to the house where alleged offence has been committed. In the instant case complainant’s sister has lost 20 tolas gold, Rs.6Million cash, prize bonds of Rs.500,000/-. During proceedings, it has come on surface that IO is compromised with accused and he might be mixed up with the accused persons and has not properly investigated the instant case, as such, Additional Inspector General of Police Sindh was called to appear in person. Today, Mr. Azad Khan, Additional Inspector General of Police Sindh is present, who admits that this case was not investigated properly by the present IO, therefore, he will conduct inquiry against IO and he has issued explanation to SP Investigation East, Karachi for poor performance in investigation and constituted JIT for recovery and arrest of absconders and sought time. In the present case, PWs implicated them in their statements under Section 161, Cr.PC. Co-accused had confined PWs and children on gunpoint and alleged offence comes within the ambit of prohibitory clause of Section 497, Cr.PC. So far as the contention of learned counsel for applicants/accused that co-accused have been granted bail by the learned trial Court is concerned, learned counsel for complainant submits that he has already filed application for cancellation of bail granted to the co-accused, therefore, I refrain myself to give any finding on the bail granting order to co-accused Darya Khan and others. There is no mala fide on the part of the complainant to falsely implicate the applicant/accused hence, the applicants are not entitled for bail. Accordingly, instant criminal bail applications are dismissed. However, learned trial Court is directed to decide the case of the applicants/accused as early as possible, in accordance with law.

 

7.        Needless to mention here that the observations made herein-above are tentative and would not influence the trial Court while deciding the case of applicants on merits.

 

8.        Instant criminal bail applications are disposed of in the above terms.

 

      

        J U D G E

Gulsher/PS