Lahore Couple Gets Life Imprisonment for Killing Delivery Rider
LAHORE: A sessions court on Thursday sentenced a man and his wife to life imprisonment for killing a delivery rider in Manga Mandi in 2023, closing a case that had shocked the city. The Lahore couple life imprisonment verdict also ordered each convict to pay Rs1 million in compensation to the victim’s family.
Additional District and Sessions Judge Shahzadi Najaf convicted Faran Qaiser and his wife Amina under Section 302(b) of the Pakistan Penal Code for intentional murder. Manga Mandi police had registered the FIR on August 24, 2023, under sections 302 (murder), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) and 34 (common intention) of the PPC.
Lahore couple life imprisonment: the verdict
The court ordered each convict to pay Rs1 million as compensation to the legal heirs of the victim under Section 544-A of the Code of Criminal Procedure. On default, each convict will serve a further six months of simple imprisonment, and the amount will be recovered as arrears of land revenue.
The couple was also convicted under Section 201 of the PPC for causing evidence of the offence to disappear. Each received five years of rigorous imprisonment along with a fine of Rs50,000, with a further month of simple imprisonment on default.
The judge ordered all prison sentences to run concurrently and extended the benefit of Section 382-B of the CrPC to both convicts, meaning the time they have already spent in custody will count towards their sentences. The judge issued warrants of commitment to the jail superintendent, directing that both convicts be taken into custody to serve their sentences.
The 2023 Manga Mandi case
According to investigative reports and subsequent court proceedings, the couple tortured Rais, set his body on fire, and later dumped it. Police investigations revealed that the courier rider routinely delivered online shopping parcels at the couple’s house, and he allegedly developed a relationship with Amina.
When her husband learnt of this, the couple conspired and killed him. The brutality of the killing, followed by the attempt to destroy evidence, drew wide attention when the case first surfaced.
The verdict is the latest in a series of high-profile cases moving through Punjab’s courts. An anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi recently reserved its verdict on a plea to re-arrest suspects in another murder case, while the Mir Raza murder case has also seen new developments. A separate Larkana case ended with a couple gunned down near the city.
Sentences explained: PPC 302, compensation and time served
Section 302(b) of the Pakistan Penal Code covers qatl-i-amd, or intentional murder. The punishment is death or imprisonment for life, and courts in Pakistan routinely impose life terms where the death penalty is not confirmed.
Section 201 punishes causing the disappearance of evidence of an offence, which in this case brought an additional five-year sentence for each convict. Section 544-A of the CrPC allows courts to order compensation for the legal heirs of a deceased victim, here set at Rs1 million per convict.
Section 382-B of the CrPC gives convicts credit for time already spent in custody before conviction. Because both convicts have been in detention since their arrest, that period will be deducted from their sentences, and the concurrent-sentencing order means the various terms run together rather than one after another.
What does Section 302(b) of the PPC mean?
Section 302(b) covers qatl-i-amd, or intentional murder under the Pakistan Penal Code. It carries the death penalty or imprisonment for life, and courts often prefer life imprisonment where the higher sentence is not confirmed on appeal.
What is Section 544-A compensation?
Section 544-A of the Code of Criminal Procedure lets a court order a convict to pay compensation to the legal heirs of a murder victim. In this case the court fixed Rs1 million per convict, recoverable as arrears of land revenue on default.
Will the couple’s time in custody reduce their sentences?
Yes. The judge extended the benefit of Section 382-B of the CrPC, under which the period already spent in detention counts towards the sentence. The sentences also run concurrently.
