Supreme Court sets eight principles for cancelling bail in Larkana case

The Supreme Court has set out eight principles under which an accused person's bail can be cancelled. It did so while upholding the Sindh High Court's decision to grant bail to Ali Asghar Khokhar in a case from Larkana. Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar wrote the judgment.

According to the reports, bail may be cancelled if the bail order is prima facie illegal or unjust, or if the accused misuses the concession of bail. It may also be cancelled if the accused pressures prosecution witnesses, tampers with evidence or obstructs its presentation.

Other grounds include a risk that the accused will flee beyond the court's jurisdiction, interference with a fair investigation, or the commission of a similar offence while on bail. Bail may also be cancelled if new facts or evidence emerge during investigation indicating the accused's involvement in the crime.

The case concerns Noor Hussain, who died on 3 March 2024. According to the FIR registered at Rahmatpur police station in Larkana, a wire snapped while electricity was being supplied to shops through a special line drawn from a disposal phase.

The Sessions Court in Larkana rejected Khokhar's pre-arrest bail application on 30 January 2025. The Larkana Circuit Court of the Sindh High Court granted him bail on 20 October 2025, citing a nine-month delay in registering the FIR and other grounds.

A petition seeking cancellation of that bail was then filed in the Supreme Court. The court dismissed the appeal, observing that the nine-month FIR delay and the accused's alleged role called for further inquiry.

The court also directed that a copy of its judgment be sent to the chairman of WAPDA for information. It asked WAPDA and the relevant utility company to examine the roles of individuals involved in illegal electricity supply, power theft and private siphoning.