Patna High Court
Luchi Rai @ Luchi RayversusThe State of Bihar
- Decided
- Disposal
- DISPOSED
- Bench
- SATYAVRAT VERMA
Holding
The Court granted provisional anticipatory bail to the petitioner subject to specified bond and surety conditions and verification of his criminal antecedents.
Summary
The petitioner, Luchi Rai, sought anticipatory bail fearing arrest in a case under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Act, 2022, where 300 litres of liquor were allegedly recovered from a location adjacent to his house. He argued that the recovery was not from his possession, the informant’s name was omitted from the FIR, and the investigation was mechanically conducted without proper inquiry. The State opposed the bail, contending the seriousness of the offence. The Court, after considering the submissions, granted provisional anticipatory bail conditioned on a bail bond of Rs.25,000 with two sureties and directed the trial court to verify the petitioner’s criminal antecedents. It further stipulated that if more than five prior cases are found, the bail would not be confirmed; otherwise, it would be confirmed forthwith.
Issues considered
- Whether the petitioner is entitled to anticipatory bail in a case under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Act, 2022.
- Whether the alleged procedural deficiencies in the FIR and investigation justify granting bail.
- What conditions, if any, should be imposed on the anticipatory bail under Section 482(2) of the B.N.S.S.
Legislation cited
- B.N.S.S. — s. 482(2)
Subjects
- anticipatory bail
- excise offence
- Section 30(a)
- Section 482(2)
- bail conditions
- criminal antecedents
Judgment
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.14209 of 2026
Arising Out of PS. Case No.-636 Year-2025 Thana- BHAGWAN BAZAR District- Saran
======================================================
Luchi Rai @ Luchi Ray S/o- Bhagelu Rai R/v- Katra (Katra Baradari)
Bhagwan Bazar Dist- Saran at Chapra
... ... Petitioner/s
Versus
The State of Bihar
... ... Opposite Party/s
======================================================
Appearance :
For the Petitioner/s : Mr. Ajit Kumar Singh
For the Opposite Party/s : Ms. Pushpa Sinha
======================================================
CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE SATYAVRAT VERMA
ORAL ORDER
2 13-03-2026 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 offence punishable under Section 30(a) of
Bihar Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Act, 2022.
3. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that
petitioner has antecedent of five cases under the Excise Act and
allegation is of recovery of 300 litres of liquor from a place near
the house of the petitioner. It is next submitted that petitioner
was not arrested from the spot as such nothing was recovered
from his conscious possession and even alleged recovery is
from a place which does not belong to the petitioner but is
adjacent to his house and he came to be implicated at the
instance of local person but then it is submitted that the name of
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.14209 of 2026(2) dt.13-03-2026
2/3
the person who disclosed the name of the petitioner is not
disclosed in the FIR which casts an aspersion on the case of the
prosecution. It is also submitted that once an accused is
implicated in a case relating to excise, the police starts
implicating mechanically either through chowkidar, local
person, confessional statement or secret information without
holding a proper investigation.
4. Learned A.P.P. for the State opposes the prayer for
anticipatory bail of the petitioner.
5. 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.25,000/- (Rupees twenty five
thousand) 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 Bhagwan Bazar P.S.
Case No.636/2025, subject to the conditions as laid down under
Section 482(2) of the B.N.S.S.
6. It is made clear that the learned trial court thereafter
shall verify the criminal antecedents of the petitioner and in the
event if it is found that petitioner has antecedent of more than
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.14209 of 2026(2) dt.13-03-2026
3/3
five cases, in that event, it would be presumed that petitioner
had concealed his antecedent before this court, as such, the
provisional anticipatory bail order shall not be confirmed but if
on verification it is found that petitioner has antecedent of five
cases, in that event the provisional anticipatory bail order shall
be confirmed forthwith.
(Satyavrat Verma, J)
amit/-
U T
Checking your session…
Lawyer court records for this case
Associated through the court’s case reference.