Patna High Court
Vikesh 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 criminal antecedent.
Summary
Vikesh Kumar applied for anticipatory bail after being implicated in a case under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Act, 2016 for allegedly possessing 33 litres of liquor recovered from a motorcycle. He asserted a clean criminal record, claimed he was not the vehicle's owner, and alleged that the chaukidar who implicated him had a personal enmity and failed to inform police earlier. The State opposed the bail. The Court, considering the submissions, granted provisional anticipatory bail subject to a Rs.500 bond, two sureties, and a condition that the trial court verify his antecedent within six weeks; if any prior case is found, the bail would not be confirmed. The petitioner also undertook to deposit Rs.1,500 with the Patna High Court Lawyers’ Association. The order was made under Section 438(2) of the Cr.P.C. and Section 482(2) of the BNSS.
Issues considered
- Whether the petitioner is entitled to anticipatory bail under Section 438 of the Cr.P.C. in the alleged offence under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Act, 2016.
- Whether the petitioner’s claim of clean antecedent and lack of ownership of the seized vehicle merit the grant of bail.
- Whether the conditions imposed by the Court are appropriate for provisional anticipatory bail.
Legislation cited
- BNSS Act — s. 482(2)
- Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 — s. 438(2)
Subjects
- anticipatory bail
- Section 30(a)
- liquor seizure
- clean antecedent
- Bihar Prohibition Act
- Cr.P.C. 438
- BNSS 482
Judgment
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.2010 of 2026
Arising Out of PS. Case No.-121 Year-2025 Thana- MAHUAWA District- East Champaran
======================================================
Vikesh Kumar S/o- Late Rameshwar Rai R/O- Lakshman Nagar PS-Mahuawa
District- East Champaran
... ... Petitioner/s
Versus
The State of Bihar
... ... Opposite Party/s
======================================================
Appearance :
For the Petitioner/s : Mr. Vishal Prasad, Advocate
For the Opposite Party/s : Mr. Awadhesh Kumar Singh, A.P.P.
======================================================
CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE SATYAVRAT VERMA
ORAL ORDER
2 27-01-2026 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 the
Bihar Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Act, 2016.
3. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that
petitioner is a person with clean antecedent and allegation is of
recovery of 33 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 is not the owner of the seized vehicle and came to
be implicated at the instance of the Chawkidar with whom
petitioner is on an inimical term. It is next submitted that if the
Chawkidar was aware of the involvement of petitioner in the
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.2010 of 2026(2) dt.27-01-2026
2/3
occurrence then why he did not inform the police prior to the
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, let 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.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 Mahuawa
P.S. Case No. 121 of 2025, subject to the conditions as laid
down under Section 438(2) of the Cr.P.C./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 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 shall not be
confirmed but if it is found on verification that petitioner is a
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.2010 of 2026(2) dt.27-01-2026
3/3
person with clean antecedent in that event the provisional
anticipatory bail order shall be confirmed forthwith.
8. At this stage, learned counsel for the petitioner
based on instruction submits that petitioner undertakes to
deposit an amount of Rs.1,500/- with the Lawyers’ Association
of the Patna High Court.
(Satyavrat Verma, J)
Kundan/-
U T
Checking your session…
Lawyer court records for this case
Associated through the court’s case reference.