Patna High Court
Vijay Chauhan @ Vijay KumarversusThe State of Bihar
- Decided
- Disposal
- DISPOSED
- Bench
- SATYAVRAT VERMA
Holding
The Court granted provisional anticipatory bail to the petitioner, subject to bond, sureties and verification of his antecedent.
Summary
The petitioner, Vijay Chauhan, was implicated in a case under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Excise Act for allegedly possessing ten litres of liquor recovered from his house, which is a joint family property. He contended that he has a clean antecedent, that the liquor was not in his conscious possession, and that the concept of deemed possession had been abolished after the 2018 amendment to the Excise Act. The petitioner also argued that the information leading to the FIR came from a hostile chowkidar, raising doubts about the prosecution's case. The State opposed the grant of anticipatory bail. After considering the submissions, the Court ordered provisional anticipatory bail subject to a bond of Rs.500 and two sureties, directing the trial court to verify the petitioner’s antecedent and confirm the bail only if he is found to have a clean record.
Issues considered
- Whether the petitioner is entitled to anticipatory bail under Section 482(2) of the Criminal Procedure Code in a case under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Excise Act
- Whether the amendment removing the concept of deemed possession affects the prosecution’s case
Legislation cited
- Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 — s. 482(2)
Subjects
- anticipatory bail
- excise law
- possession
- joint family property
- clean antecedent
- Section 30(a) Bihar Excise Act
Judgment
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.12862 of 2026
Arising Out of PS. Case No.-314 Year-2025 Thana- PAKARIBARAW District- Nawada
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Vijay Chauhan @ Vijay Kumar S/o- Late Ramchandra Chauhan R/v- Jiluriya
Ps- Pakribarawan Dist- Nawada
... ... Petitioner/s
Versus
The State of Bihar
... ... Opposite Party/s
======================================================
Appearance :
For the Petitioner/s : Mr.Bipin Kumar, Adv
For the Opposite Party/s : Mr.Shyam Bihari Singh, APP
======================================================
CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE SATYAVRAT VERMA
ORAL ORDER
2 10-03-2026 1. Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and
learned A.P.P. for the State.
2. The petitioner apprehends his arrest in a case
registered for the offences punishable under Section 30(a) of the
Bihar Excise Act.
3. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the
petitioner is a person with clean antecedent and allegation is of
recovery of 10 litres of liquor from the house of the petitioner.
4. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the
petitioner was not arrested from the spot as such nothing was
recovered from his conscious possession and the house in
question is a joint family property as such it cannot be alleged
with certainty that it was petitioner who had kept the liquor in
the house or the liquor kept in the house was within knowledge
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.12862 of 2026(2) dt.10-03-2026
2/3
of the petitioner. It is next submitted that after amendment in
the Excise Act in the year 2018, the concept of deemed
possession and presumed offender has been done away with and
he came to be implicated at the instance of Chowkidar with
whom he is on an inimical term. It is also submitted that if the
Chowkidar was aware about the involvement of the petitioner in
the occurrence, then why he did not inform the police prior to
institution of the instant FIR, which casts an aspersion on the
case of the prosecution.
5. Learned A.P.P. for the State opposes the prayer for
anticipatory bail of the petitioner.
6. Considering the submissions made by the learned
counsel for the petitioner, the petitioner above-named, in the
event of his arrest or surrender within a period of six weeks
from today, be released on Provisional anticipatory bail on
furnishing bail bonds of Rs. 500/- (Rupees Five Hundred) with
two sureties of the like amount each to the satisfaction of the
learned trial court where the case is pending/successor court in
connection with Pakribarawan P.S. Case No. 314 of 2025,
subject to the conditions as laid down under Section 482(2) of
the BNSS.
7. It is made clear that thereafter the learned Trial Court
shall verify the criminal antecedent of the petitioner and in the
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.12862 of 2026(2) dt.10-03-2026
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event if it is found that petitioner has antecedent of even one case
then it would be presumed that petitioner, for the purposes of
seeking anticipatory bail, had concealed his antecedent before this
Court, as such, the provisional anticipatory bail order shall not be
confirmed, but after verification if it is found that petitioner is a
person with clean antecedent in that event the provisional
anticipatory bail order shall be confirmed forthwith.
(Satyavrat Verma, J)
Sumit/-
U T
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