Patna High Court
Dinesh Kumar Manjhi @ Dinesh ManjhiversusThe State of Bihar
- Decided
- Disposal
- BAIL GRANTED
- Bench
- SANDEEP KUMAR
Holding
Bail is granted to the petitioner subject to specified monetary and procedural conditions.
Summary
The petitioner, Dinesh Kumar Manjhi, was arrested in connection with the seizure of 60 litres of illicit liquor under Section 30(a) of the Prohibition and Excise Amendment Act, 2022. He had been in custody since 20 January 2026 and claimed innocence despite having four prior criminal antecedents. The petitioner offered to donate Rs. 25,000 to a charitable organization and sought bail. The Court, after considering the submissions, granted bail on the condition of a Rs. 10,000 bond with two sureties, a Rs. 25,000 deposit to the Ramakrishna Mission, regular monthly police station attendance, and verification of his antecedents. The order was limited to the bail application and did not prejudice the merits of the trial.
Issues considered
- Whether bail should be granted to the accused in an offence under Section 30(a) of the Prohibition and Excise Amendment Act, 2022 considering his prior criminal antecedents.
- What conditions, if any, are appropriate for the grant of bail in such a case.
Subjects
- bail
- illicit liquor
- Prohibition and Excise Amendment Act
- criminal antecedents
- charitable donation
- court conditions
Judgment
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.21164 of 2026
Arising Out of PS. Case No.-4 Year-2025 Thana- KOPA District- Saran
======================================================
Dinesh Kumar Manjhi @ Dinesh Manjhi son of Janakdeo Manjhi @ Janakdev
Manjhi @ Petu Resident of Village- Pokhar Bhinda, P.S.- Kopa, Dist- Saran
... ... Petitioner/s
Versus
The State of Bihar bihar
... ... Opposite Party/s
======================================================
Appearance :
For the Petitioner/s : Mr.Aniket Singh
For the Opposite Party/s : Mr.Manoj Kumar
======================================================
CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE SANDEEP KUMAR
ORAL ORDER
2 06-04-2026 Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and learned
APP for the State.
2. The petitioner seeks bail in connection with Kopa
P.S. Case No. 04 of 2025 registered for the offence under
Section 30(a) of the Prohibition and Excise Amendment Act,
2022.
3. The recovery is of 60 liters of illicit liquor.
4. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the
petitioner is innocent and he is in custody since 20.01.2026. He
further submits that the petitioner is having four criminal
antecedents i.e. Kopa P.S. Case No. 98 of 2020, Kopa P.S. Case
No. 152 of 2023, Kopa P.S. Case No 37 of 2024 and Kopa P.S.
Case No. 176 of 2024.
5. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.21164 of 2026(2) dt.06-04-2026
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petitioner is ready to donate Rs. 25,000/- in some charitable
organization without accepting his guilt.
6. Learned APP appearing for the State opposes the
prayer for bail of the petitioner.
7. Considering the facts and circumstances of the
case and submissions of learned counsel for the petitioner, let
the petitioner, above named, be released on bail upon furnishing
bail bonds of Rs.10,000/- (ten thousand) with two sureties of the
like amount each to the satisfaction of the learned concerned
Court below in connection with Kopa P.S. Case No. 04 of 2025.
8. This is also subject to the condition that the
petitioner shall deposit an amount of Rs. 25,000/- in
Ramakrishna Mission Ashram, Latu Maharaj Path, Chhapra and
produce the receipt of the same before the Court below. The bail
bonds of the petitioner shall be accepted after verifying the
genuineness of the receipt produced by the petitioner.
9. As a condition of this order, the petitioner after
being released on bail is directed to mark his attendance at Kopa
Police Station on every Sunday of each month. Any default in
appearance at the police station will result in cancellation of bail
bonds of the petitioner.
10. As the petitioner claims to have clean 4
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.21164 of 2026(2) dt.06-04-2026
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antecedents, the Court below, before accepting the bail bonds of
the petitioner is directed to verify the antecedent of the
petitioner. If the petitioner is found to be involved in any other
case except the present case and the cases mentioned in
paragraph 4 of the present order then the bail bonds of the
petitioner shall not be accepted.
11. It is, however, clarified that the observations made
herein are limited to the adjudication of the present bail
application and shall not prejudice the case of the petitioner at
any subsequent stage of the trial and this Court has not
expressed any opinion on the merits of the case.
(Sandeep Kumar, J)
Vikas/-
U
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