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Patna High Court

Manjit PaswanversusThe State of Bihar

Decided
Disposal
DISPOSED

Holding

The court held that provisional anticipatory bail may be granted subject to conditions and verification of the petitioner’s antecedent.

Summary

Manjit Paswan, the owner of a motorcycle from which 28 litres of liquor was seized, applied for anticipatory bail, claiming a clean criminal record and that he was not in possession of the liquor at the time of seizure. The State opposed the bail, arguing the seizure implicated him under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Act, 2018. The court examined whether ownership of the vehicle alone justified arrest and whether anticipatory bail was appropriate under Section 438 of the Cr.P.C. The judge granted provisional anticipatory bail, subject to a Rs.500 bond, two sureties, and a six‑week surrender, with a condition that the trial court verify the petitioner’s antecedents. If a prior case is found, the 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 the present circumstances.
  • Whether ownership of the vehicle from which liquor was seized constitutes sufficient ground for arrest under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Act, 2018.

Legislation cited

Subjects

  • anticipatory bail
  • Section 30(a)
  • Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act
  • vehicle ownership
  • clean antecedent
  • bail conditions

Judgment

                      IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
                              CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.15037 of 2026
                    Arising Out of PS. Case No.-248 Year-2025 Thana- ARA MUFFSIL District- Bhojpur
                 ======================================================
                 Manjit Paswan S/o- Motichand Paswan R/o Vill- Laxmanpur, P.S- Shahpur,
                 Dist- Bhojpur
                                                                         ... ... Petitioner/s
                                                Versus
                 The State of Bihar
                                                                  ... ... Opposite Party/s
                 ======================================================
                 Appearance :
                 For the Petitioner/s     :       Mr. Navin Kumar Singh, Advocate
                 For the Opposite Party/s :       Mr. Chandra Bhushan Prasad, A.P.P.
                 ======================================================
                 CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE SATYAVRAT VERMA
                                       ORAL ORDER

2   25-03-2026                  1. Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and Mr.

                   Chandra Bhushan Prasad, 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 the

                   Bihar Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Act, 2018.

                                3. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that

                   petitioner is a person with clean antecedent and allegation is of

                   recovery of 28 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

                   and, thus, would create evidence against himself and, hence,
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.15037 of 2026(2) dt.25-03-2026
                                            2/3




          would get implicated. It is also submitted that petitioner was

          completely unaware that Dolla would misuse the vehicle in the

          manner as alleged who was also apprehended from the spot

          along with Sikander.

                       5. Mr. Chandra Bhushan Prasad, 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 Ara Mufassil P.S. Case No. 248 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. However, 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 that event the provisional anticipatory bail order
           Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.15037 of 2026(2) dt.25-03-2026
                                                       3/3




                     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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