LAHORE (Muhammad Ashfaq) – The Lahore High Court (LHC) has acquitted a man sentenced to three years in prison and fined in a Rs6.9 million cheque bounce case, setting a new legal precedent that not every dishonoured cheque constitutes a criminal offense unless mala fide intent is proven.
Justice Sadaqat Ali Khan accepted the revision appeal filed by Shamim Aslam and issued a four-page written judgment.
The court noted that the complaint was lodged over a year after the alleged dishonour, with no reasonable explanation for the delay. Moreover, the complainant did not file any civil suit to recover the amount.
Justice Sadaqat observed that if the amount were genuinely payable, the complainant would also have sought remedy in a civil court, emphasizing that the benefit of doubt is a fundamental right of the accused.
According to the record, the case was registered against Shamim Aslam on November 30, 2024, and the trial court had convicted him on February 2, 2025, sentencing him to three years in prison along with a fine of Rs20,000.
After hearing all arguments, the High Court set aside the trial court’s decision, annulled the sentence, and acquitted Shamim Aslam of all charges.