28/01/2026
2026 SCMR 163
Only blackening on the margins of the entry wound may also occur even from a long-range fire shot. On the other hand, if the entry wound is a contact wound which means that the fire shot was made while pressing the muzzle of the weapon on the body of the victim or if a fire shot is made from a close range i.e., from a distance of three (03) feet or less, then apart from the blackening around the entry wound, there is also burning and tattooing around the entry wound (s). Sometimes a plastic wad is also recovered from a wound of entry if a fire shot is made by a 12-bore gun or a carbine from a close range. According to the medical experts when the trigger of a firearm is pressed then it hits that part of the bullet or cartridge, which contains gun powder and due to the hitting of the trigger a blast takes place in the bullet/cartridge due to which the bullet or pallets come out of the muzzle of the gun/pistol with very high velocity. Smoke that comes out of the muzzle of the weapon due to the blast of gun powder, deposits around the entry wound in a contact wound or a close range shot made from a distance of less than 3-feet and the same causes blackening around the entry wound. A flame also comes out of the muzzle, which causes burning/ charring around the entry wound, whereas burnt and unburnt gun powder also comes out of the muzzle of the weapon and it causes tattooing around the entry wound in the case of a close range fire shot. Likewise, if a fire shot is made with 12-bore gun or carbine, then the plastic cartridge, which is normally used in such type of weapons may break into pieces due to the blast of gun powder and a plastic wad may also be found inside the entry wound, in the case of a close-range fire shot. It is, therefore, evident that in the case of a closerange fire shot, most of the abovementioned characteristics are present inside or around entry wound of the victim, however, the said characteristics may be missing in the case of long-range fire shot(s). Similarly when a sophisticated weapon is used or when smokeless powder is used in the bullet/cartridge, in that case the abovementioned sign of blackening may not be present in or around the entry wound, though the fire shot was made from a close range. On the other hand, only blackening on the margins of the entry wound can occur even from a long-range fire shot(s). It happens because as mentioned earlier, when a tiger of a firearm is pressed and it hits that part of the bullet/cartridge, which contains gun powder, it results into the blast of the gun powder and due to the said blast, as well as, on account of the friction of the led bullet/pellets in the muzzle of the firearm, a led bullet/pellets become a boiling object and when it touches the skin of a human being (victim) then it burns the skin on the margins of the entry wound(s). It is further noteworthy that on account of oiling and presence of dust in a weapon/muzzle, the bullet may carry the mixture of said dust and oil on it and when it touches the skin of the victim, the mixture of dust and oil deposits around the entry wound due to which it may appear that there is blackening around the entry wound. In the medical jurisprudence the said blackening is described as a dirt hole. It is, therefore, clear that when there is only blackening on the margins of the entry wound of the victim then it cannot be held that only on account of the said blackening a fire shot was made from a close range or it was a contact wound because as mentioned earlier, in a contact or close range fire shot, apart from the blackening there should have also been burning and tattooing around the entry wound and in case the fire shot is made with a 12 born gun or carbine from a close-range then a piece of wad/cartridge may also be found inside the entry wound. Moreover, as per medical jurisprudence the abovementioned signs (blackening, burning, tattooing), may be missing even in a close-range fire shot if the fire shot lands on that part of the body which is covered with clothes like, vest, shirt, coat etc because in that case, blackening, burning and tattooing may occur at the clothes of the victim. Therefore, presence or absence of above characteristics depends on the different circumstances of a case. On the other hand only blackening of the margins of the entry wound may occur from a long-range fire shot and even when the body of the victim is covered with clothes because the blackening of the margins of the entry wound occurs due to the touching of the bullet (a boiling object) with the skin at the entry wound of the victim. We are, therefore, of the view that as there is no burning, charring and tattooing and there is only blackening of the margins of the entry wound of the deceased which may occur even in the case of a long range shot.
Jail Petition No.940 of 2017
Qaisar vs The State
