LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Thursday acquitted a man convicted of attempted rape.

A trial court of Jhang had awarded five-year imprisonment to the convict/appellant, Ahmad Faraz, under section 376 of Pakistan Penal Code.

The convict challenged his sentence before the high court through Advocate Zakaur Rehman.

Allowing the appeal, Justice Sadagat Ali Khan observed that the victim was not medically examined and the first information report was lodged with a delay of two days. The judge also observed how the trial court could convict the accused person if the victim was not medically examined.

`It is settled principle of law that for giving the benefit of thedoubt, it is not necessary that there should be many circumstances creating doubt.If thereis a circumstance which creates reasonable doubtin the prudent mind about the guilt of the accused, then he would be entitled to its benefit not as a matter of grace or concession but as of right,` the judge noted in the verdict.

Justice Khan observed that the case of the prosecution had to stand on its own legs and any benefit of doubt would go in f avour of the accused person.

The judge set aside the trial court`s judgement and acquitted the convict.

PRIYANTHA CASE: An antiterrorism court on Thursday administered partial cross-examination of two eyewitnesses in the lynching case of Sri Lankan citizen Priyantha Kumara over blasphemy allegations in Sialkot.

The court will resume theremaining cross-examination on Friday (today).

The victim, 49-year-old Kumara, was tortured to death and his body was set on fire on Dec 3, 2021 by furious workers of the Rajco Industries garment f actory, where he was a manager.

The prosecution in its challan included 40 witnesses besides videos, digital evidence, DNA evidence andforensicevidence.

According to the challan, footage from 10 digital video recorders in the factory was sent for forensic analysis and the accused were traced via social media videos and footage recovered from the mobile phones of 56 accused.

An FIR was registered against 900 workers at the Uggoki police station for aggravated murder and burning of the body against dozens of unidentified people under terrorism and murder provisions.