Patna High Court
Manohar KumarversusThe State of Bihar
- Decided
- Disposal
- DISPOSED
- Bench
- SATYAVRAT VERMA
Holding
The Court conditionally granted provisional anticipatory bail to the petitioner, subject to verification of his antecedent and compliance with the stipulated conditions.
Summary
Manohar Kumar, the owner of a motorcycle from which 120 litres of liquor were seized, applied for anticipatory bail fearing arrest under Sections 274 and 275 of the Bihar Narcotic Substances Act and Section 30(a) of the Bihar Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Act, 2022. He argued that he had a clean antecedent, was not in actual possession of the liquor, and was unaware that another individual misused his vehicle. The State opposed the bail. The Court considered the submissions and the provisions of Section 438(2) of the Cr.P.C. and Section 482(2) of the B.N.S.S., and ordered provisional anticipatory bail on the condition of furnishing bail bonds and sureties, with a six‑week window for surrender. The order also directed verification of the petitioner’s criminal antecedent, making the bail conditional on a clean record. If any antecedent is found, the provisional bail will not be confirmed; otherwise it will be confirmed forthwith.
Issues considered
- Whether the petitioner is entitled to anticipatory bail under Section 438 of the Criminal Procedure Code in view of the alleged offences under the Bihar Narcotic Substances Act and the Bihar Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Act.
Legislation cited
- Bihar Narcotic Substances Act — s. 274, 275, 482(2)
- Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 — s. 438(2)
Subjects
- anticipatory bail
- Section 438 CrPC
- liquor seizure
- vehicle ownership
- clean antecedent
- Bihar Narcotic Substances Act
- Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act
Judgment
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.13906 of 2026
Arising Out of PS. Case No.-377 Year-2025 Thana- RAJAPAKAR District- Vaishali
======================================================
Manohar Kumar Son of Lala Ray R/o Village - Kanchanpur, P.O. - Rajasan,
P.S. - Bidupur, District -Vaishali.
... ... Petitioner/s
Versus
The State of Bihar
... ... Opposite Party/s
======================================================
Appearance :
For the Petitioner/s : Mr. Yugal Kishore, Advocate
For the Opposite Party/s : Mr. Kumar Ranjit Ranjan, A.P.P.
======================================================
CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE SATYAVRAT VERMA
ORAL ORDER
2 12-03-2026 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 Sections 274 and
275 of the BNS as well as Section 30(a) of the Bihar Prohibition
and Excise (Amendment) Act, 2022.
3. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that
petitioner is a person with clean antecedent and allegation is of
recovery of 120 litres of liquor from a motorcycle.
4. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that
petitioner was not arrested from the spot, as such, nothing was
recovered from his conscious possession. It is further submitted
that petitioner came to be implicated based on the fact that he is
owner of the seized vehicle. It is next submitted that no prudent
person would use his own vehicle for committing an occurrence
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.13906 of 2026(2) dt.12-03-2026
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and, thus, would create evidence against himself and, hence,
would get implicated. It is also submitted that petitioner was
completely unaware that Om Ji Yadav @ Vikash Kumar would
misuse the vehicle in the manner as alleged who was also
apprehended from the spot.
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, let 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 Rajapakar P.S. Case No. 377 of 2025, subject
to the conditions as laid down under Section 438(2) of the
Cr.P.C./482(2) of the B.N.S.S.
7. It is made clear that thereafter the learned Trial
Court shall verify the criminal antecedent of the petitioner and if
it is found that petitioner has antecedent of even one case, it
would be presumed that petitioner had concealed his antecedent
before this Court at para 3 of the anticipatory bail application in
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.13906 of 2026(2) dt.12-03-2026
3/3
that event the provisional anticipatory bail order shall not be
confirmed but if it is found on verification that petitioner is a
person with clean antecedent in that event the provisional
anticipatory bail order shall be confirmed forthwith.
(Satyavrat Verma, J)
Kundan/-
U T
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