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Patna High Court

Bipat SahniversusThe State of Bihar

Decided
Disposal
DISPOSED

Holding

The court ordered provisional anticipatory bail for the petitioner, subject to conditions and verification of his antecedent, under Section 482(2) of the BNSS.

Summary

The petitioner, Bipat Sahni, sought anticipatory bail fearing arrest in a case under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Excise Act concerning the alleged recovery of 200 litres of liquor from a public bamboo clump. He argued he had no prior criminal record, the liquor was not in his conscious possession, and the complaint originated from a chowkidar who failed to inform police earlier. The State opposed the bail. The High Court, after considering the submissions, granted provisional anticipatory bail conditioned on a modest bail bond, two sureties, and a deposit with the Advocates’ Association, subject to verification of the petitioner’s antecedent by the trial court. The court stipulated that if any prior case is discovered, the bail would not be confirmed; otherwise, it would be confirmed forthwith. The order was made under Section 482(2) of the BNSS.

Issues considered

  • Whether the petitioner is entitled to anticipatory bail in a case under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Excise Act.
  • Whether the petitioner’s clean antecedent and lack of possession of the alleged liquor justify granting bail.

Legislation cited

Subjects

  • anticipatory bail
  • Bihar Excise Act
  • Section 30(a)
  • Section 482(2)
  • clean antecedent
  • liquor seizure
  • provisional bail

Judgment

                      IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
                              CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.2378 of 2026
                    Arising Out of PS. Case No.-309 Year-2025 Thana- BHAGWANPUR District- Vaishali
                 ======================================================
                 Bipat Sahni S/o Wasu Sahni Resident of Village- Ashoi LKachhiram, P.S.-
                 Bhagwanpur, District- Vaishali

                                                                                  ... ... Petitioner/s
                                                       Versus
                 The State of Bihar

                                                        ... ... Opposite Party/s
                 ======================================================
                 Appearance :
                 For the Petitioner/s     :       Mr.Shabina Talat
                 For the Opposite Party/s :       Ms.Sangeeta Sharma
                 ======================================================
                 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 offences punishable under Section 30(a) of the

                   Bihar Excise Act.

                             3.    Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the

                   petitioner is a person with clean antecedent and allegation is of

                   recovery of 200 litres of liquor from a bamboo clump.

                             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 even the alleged

                   recovery is from a place which does not belong to the petitioner

                   and is accessible to public at large and he came to be implicated

                   at the instance of Chowkidar but then it is submitted that if the
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.2378 of 2026(2) dt.27-01-2026
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          Chowkidar was aware about the involvement of the petitioner in

          the occurrence, then why he did not inform the police prior to

          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, 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

          Bhagwanpur P.S. Case No. 309 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
              Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.2378 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, the learned counsel for the petitioner

                        based on instruction submits that petitioner undertakes to deposit

                        an amount of Rs. 1,500/- with Advocates’ Association, Patna High

                        Court.



                                                  (Satyavrat Verma, J)
Sumit/-

U         T


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