Patna High Court
Prince JayswalversusThe State of Bihar
- Decided
- Disposal
- DISPOSED
- Bench
- SATYAVRAT VERMA
Holding
The Court granted provisional anticipatory bail to the petitioner with conditions, pending verification of his criminal antecedent.
Summary
Prince Jayswal was charged under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Excise Act for allegedly recovering 85 litres of liquor from a motorcycle. He argued that he was not arrested at the spot, had no conscious possession of the liquor, and was not the owner of the seized vehicle, and that the case was based solely on a confessional statement made by Vishal in police custody, which he claimed lacked evidentiary value. The petitioner also contended that the 2018 amendment to the Excise Act had abolished the concepts of deemed possession and presumed offender. The State opposed the grant of anticipatory bail. The Court, applying Section 482(2) of the BNSS, granted provisional anticipatory bail subject to a bail bond of Rs.15,000 with two sureties and directed the trial court to verify the petitioner’s criminal antecedent, reserving the right to cancel the bail if more than three prior cases are found.
Issues considered
- Whether anticipatory bail can be granted to the petitioner under Section 482(2) of the BNSS in a case under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Excise Act.
- Whether the confessional statement of a co-accused made in police custody can be the sole basis for implicating the petitioner.
- Whether the 2018 amendment to the Bihar Excise Act eliminates the doctrine of deemed possession and presumed offender for the purpose of bail.
Legislation cited
- BNSS — s. 482(2)
Subjects
- anticipatory bail
- Bihar Excise Act
- Section 30(a)
- deemed possession
- confessional statement
- criminal antecedent
- Section 482(2) BNSS
Judgment
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.17152 of 2026
Arising Out of PS. Case No.-16 Year-2026 Thana- VIJAYEPUR District- Gopalganj
======================================================
Prince Jayswal S/O Awadhesh Jayswal @ Awadhesh Sah R/O Village-
Bangra, P.S- Vijaypur, Dist.- Gopalganj.
... ... Petitioner/s
Versus
The State of Bihar Bihar
... ... Opposite Party/s
======================================================
Appearance :
For the Petitioner/s : Mr.Deepankar Raj
For the Opposite Party/s : Mr. Chandra Bhushan Prasad, APP
======================================================
CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE SATYAVRAT VERMA
ORAL ORDER
2 19-03-2026 1. Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and
learned A.P.P. for the State, Sri Chandra Bhushan Prasad.
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 has antecedent of three cases out of which two cases
are under the Excise Act and allegation is of recovery of 85
litres of liquor from a motorcycle.
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 is not the owner of
the seized motorcycle and he came to be implicated based on
confessional statement of Vishal in police custody which does
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.17152 of 2026(2) dt.19-03-2026
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not have any evidentiary value. 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. It is further submitted that once an accused is implicated in
a case relating to excise, the police starts implicating
mechanically either at the instance of Chowkidar, local person,
confessional statement or secret information without holding a
proper investigation.
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 before the learned trial court within a
period of six weeks from today, be released on Provisional
anticipatory bail on furnishing bail bonds of Rs. 15,000/- (Rupees
Fifteen 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 Vijaypur P.S. Case No.
16 of 2026, 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
event if it is found that petitioner has antecedent of more than
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.17152 of 2026(2) dt.19-03-2026
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three cases 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 has antecedent of three cases in that event the
provisional anticipatory bail order shall be confirmed forthwith.
(Satyavrat Verma, J)
Sumit/-
U T
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