Patna High Court
Virendra SinghversusThe State of Bihar
- Decided
- Disposal
- DISPOSED
- Bench
- SATYAVRAT VERMA
Holding
The Court conditionally granted provisional anticipatory bail to the petitioner, subject to verification of his criminal antecedent.
Summary
The petitioner, Virendra Singh, was implicated in an excise case for allegedly transporting 861.6 litres of liquor in a truck he owned, though the liquor was seized from the vehicle and not from his personal possession. He sought anticipatory bail, arguing he had a clean criminal record and was unaware of his driver’s alleged misuse of the vehicle. The State opposed the bail, contending the seriousness of the offences under Sections 30(a) and 32 of the Bihar Excise Act. The Court, considering the petitioner's clean antecedent and the lack of direct possession, granted provisional anticipatory bail subject to a modest bond, two sureties, and verification of his criminal record by the trial court. The order stipulated that if any antecedent is discovered, the bail would not be confirmed; otherwise, it would be confirmed forthwith.
Issues considered
- Whether the petitioner is entitled to anticipatory bail under Section 482(2) of the BNSS in view of the alleged offences under the Bihar Excise Act.
- Whether ownership of the vehicle used for the alleged offence suffices to establish culpability for anticipatory bail purposes.
Subjects
- anticipatory bail
- excise law
- vehicle ownership
- clean antecedent
- Section 482
- Bihar Excise Act
Judgment
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.23412 of 2026
Arising Out of PS. Case No.-620 Year-2025 Thana- Excise P.S. District- Gopalganj
======================================================
Virendra Singh S/O Brajnarayan Singh @ Brijnarayan Singh R/O Vill.- Koyla
Deva Jataha,P.s- Fulwariya,Dist- Gopalganj
... ... Petitioner/s
Versus
The State of Bihar
... ... Opposite Party/s
======================================================
Appearance :
For the Petitioner/s : Mr. Baijnath Sah, Advocate
For the Opposite Party/s : Mr. Awadhesh Kumar Singh, APP
======================================================
CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE SATYAVRAT VERMA
ORAL ORDER
2 17-04-2026 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 offences punishable under Sections 30(a) and
32 of the Bihar Excise Act.
3. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that
petitioner is a person with clean antecedent and allegation is of
recovery of 861.6 liters of liquor from a truck.
4. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that
petitioner was not apprehended from the spot as such nothing
was recovered from his conscious possession and he 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
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create evidence against himself and hence would get implicated,
it is also submitted that petitioner was completely unaware that
his driver would misuse the vehicle in the manner as alleged
who also fled from the spot.
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.
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 Excise
P.S. Case No. 620 of 2025 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 even one case
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 is a
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person with clean antecedent in that event the provisional
anticipatory bail order shall be confirmed forthwith.
(Satyavrat Verma, J)
Rishabh/-
U T
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