Patna High Court

Vidyanand RamversusThe State of Bihar

Decided: 20 April 2026
Disposal: DISPOSED
Bench: SATYAVRAT VERMA

Holding

Provisional anticipatory bail is granted subject to conditions and verification of antecedent.

Summary

The petitioner, Vidyanand Ram, was implicated in a case under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Excise Act for the alleged recovery of 105 litres of liquor from his auto. He contended that he had a clean antecedent, was not in possession of the liquor, and that the driver, who fled the scene, misused the vehicle without his knowledge. The State opposed his prayer for anticipatory bail. The Court, after considering the submissions, granted provisional anticipatory bail subject to a bail bond of Rs.500 with two sureties and conditioned the order on verification of the petitioner’s criminal antecedent by the trial court. If any antecedent is found, the bail will not be confirmed; otherwise, it will be confirmed forthwith.

Issues considered

Whether anticipatory bail should be granted to the petitioner under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Excise Act.
Whether the petitioner’s lack of possession and clean antecedent justify anticipatory bail.

Legislation cited

Code of Criminal Procedure — s. 482(2)

Subjects

anticipatory bail
excise law
liquor seizure
vehicle owner liability
clean antecedent

Judgment

                      IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
                              CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.24514 of 2026
                     Arising Out of PS. Case No.-123 Year-2023 Thana- DHANKUND District- Banka
                 ======================================================
                 Vidyanand Ram Son of Late Sahdeo Ram Resident of village Padum Nagar,
                 P.S.- Karjain, District - Supaul

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

                                                        ... ... Opposite Party/s
                 ======================================================
                 Appearance :
                 For the Petitioner/s     :      Mr. Bindeshwar Prasad Singh
                 For the Opposite Party/s :      Mr. Damodar Prasad Tiwary
                 ======================================================
                 CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE SATYAVRAT VERMA
                                       ORAL ORDER

2   20-04-2026                  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 Section 30(a) 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 105 liters of liquor from an Auto.

                                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
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.24514 of 2026(2) dt.20-04-2026
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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

          Dhankund P.S. Case No. 123 of 2023 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.24514 of 2026(2) dt.20-04-2026
                                                        3/3




                      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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