Summary Lahore High Court, Punjab Police investigation, delayed criminal cases
LAHORE (Muhammad Ashfaq) – The Lahore High Court has directed the Punjab inspector general of police (IGP) to conduct a province-wide audit of delayed criminal investigations after expressing strong displeasure over police negligence and prolonged delays in prosecuting cases.
Justice Muhammad Tariq Nadeem issued the directions in a detailed 12-page judgment while granting post-arrest bail to a suspect who was arrested in 2025 in connection with a 2018 murder case.
The court ruled that an accused person cannot be made to suffer because of police negligence, observing that unnecessary delays violate the constitutional right to a fair trial and other fundamental rights.
According to the judgment, police failed to conduct an effective investigation, arrest the suspect or complete the legal process to declare him a proclaimed offender for nearly seven years. The court noted that although the law requires investigations to be completed within 14 days, the case diary had not been properly maintained for more than six years, describing it as a serious violation of legal requirements.
The court also observed that police failed to properly investigate the cross-version of the case, stating that one-sided investigations are contrary to the principles of justice. It stressed that the primary responsibility of an investigating officer is to uncover the truth and identify the actual offender rather than pursue only one version of events.
The judgment further stated that the supervisory system of the district police had completely failed, while leaving the case file unattended for six years reflected serious administrative incompetence.
The court held that once an investigation has been completed, keeping an accused in custody without justification is unlawful and amounts to punishment before conviction.
The Lahore High Court consequently granted post-arrest bail to the accused and ordered his release.
The court also directed that a copy of the judgment be sent to the Punjab IGP for circulation among all regional police officers (RPOs), city police officers (CPOs), district police officers (DPOs) and heads of investigation, instructing them to audit delayed cases across the province and address the causes of investigative negligence.
The IGP has been ordered to submit a compliance report to the Lahore High Court within 30 days.
