05/03/2023
SOME IMPORTANT JUDGMENTS ON SECTION 491 CR.P.C
PLD 2022 Lahore 224 (illegal detention in police custody…)
Detenue was recovered from the police station and his arrest was not mentioned in roznamcha (daily dairy) of the Police Station, the contention of authorities was that the detune was arrested in investigation of a criminal case but no case diary could be produced in support of such plea….. held….. on returning of I.O from investigation of a case, he under 25.54(3) of police rules 1984 was to number and date each case diary mentioned at the back side of FIR available at Police station in relevant register. SHO and I.O exceeded their powers and jurisdiction and committed gross misconduct which fell within the ambit of section 155 C of police order 2002… high court directed police authorities to register an FIR against police officials under section 155C of police order 2002.
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PLD 2022Islamabad 120 (habeas corpus in relation to a child….)
Jurisdiction of a court adjudicating a habeas corpus in relation to a child cannot be confused with any ordinary habeas corpus where focus of the court is on the recovery of the person illegally detained. Focus of court in a habeas corpus petition filed on behalf of a child is not just on illegal detention but on ensuring that the interim custody of minor pending its determination by a Guardian Court…..consideration in such matter was the welfare of minor.
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PLD 1997 S.C 852
In case of section 491 Cr.P.C, 361 & 363 PPC….. indicate that mother is entitled to hizanat of her male child below 07 years of age.
2021 YLR 1267 Peshawar
Application u.s 491 Cr.P.C for the custody of minor was dismissed on the ground that the minor seemed comfortable in the custody of his father…. Validity… mother was a symbol of sacrifice for her children and there was no substitute for her love and affection…. Even otherwise she had a right of hazanat under Islamic law. Age of minor is 3 ½ years… constitutional petition was allowed and the custody of minor was handed over to the mother petitioner.
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2001 SCMR 1782 (delay in filing 491 Cr.P.C)
A petition U.S 491 Cr.P.C was filed by the mother after almost six months of cause of action, the august Supreme Court held that there was no explanation of delay in reporting the removal of the minor from the custody of mother. The custody of the minor with the father was found not to be illegal.
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PLD 2004 SC 1
The Court should not go into technicalities of law and should decide the matter before it in view mainly of the welfare of the child.
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PLD 2012 SC 758 (when section 491 is exercised in case of minor)
That jurisdiction u.s. 491 Cr.P.C is only to be exercised where the children of every tender age have been snatched away from lawful custody quite recently and there is real urgency in the matter. In the said case, the children were neither found to be of tender ages nor snatched away from the mother and it was held that the case was not made out for exercise of jurisdiction of section 491 Cr.P.C.
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2018 SCMR 427 (Section 491 can be filed during the pendency of a case before Guardian Court)
…. Held that the guardian court is the final arbitrator for adjudicating the question of custody of children….however, where a parent holding custody of a minor lawfully has been deprived of such custody, such parent cannot be deprived of a remedy to regain the custody while the matter is subjudice before the guardian court. Therefore, in exceptional cases (like the instant case) where the high court finds that the best interest and welfare of the minor demand that his/her custody be immediately restored to the person who was lawfully holding such custody before being deprived of the same. The court is not devoided of jurisdiction to pass appropriate orders u.s 491 Cr.P.C directing that custody be restored to that person as an interim measure pending final decision of the Guardian Court, while the tender age of the minor is always a material consideration but it is not the only consideration to be kept in mind by the High Court. Other factors like best interest and welfare of the minor… the urgency to take appropriate to minimize the trauma, emotional stress and educational loss of the minor are equally important and also need to be kept in mind while granting and refusing an order to restore interim custody by the High Court. The two provisions of law namely section 491 Cr.PC & section 25 of the Guardian & Wards Act deal with two different situations. The first to cater for an emergent situation while the latter to give more long term decisions regarding questions relating to the guardianship of minors.
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