Patna High Court
RAJU RAY @ RAJU KUMARversusThe State of Bihar
- Decided
- Disposal
- DISPOSED
- Bench
- SATYAVRAT VERMA
Holding
The Court granted provisional anticipatory bail with conditions, subject to verification of the petitioner’s antecedent.
Summary
Petitioner Raju Ray, accused under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Act, 2022 for alleged recovery of 872 litres of liquor from government land, applied for anticipatory bail. He claims he was not arrested at the spot, had no possession, and that the complaint originated from a hostile chaukidar. The State opposed the bail. The Court, considering the submissions, granted provisional anticipatory bail on a bond of Rs.40,000 with two sureties, subject to verification of the petitioner’s criminal antecedent. If the verification shows more than eight prior cases, the bail may be withdrawn; if only eight, the bail will be confirmed. The order is made under Section 438(2) of the Cr.P.C. and Section 482(2) of the B.N.S.S.
Issues considered
- Whether anticipatory bail should be granted to the petitioner under Section 438 Cr.P.C. given the nature of the offence and his criminal antecedent.
Legislation cited
- B.N.S.S. — s. 482(2)
- Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 — s. 438(2)
Subjects
- anticipatory bail
- excise offence
- criminal antecedent
- Section 30
- Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act
- Section 438 CrPC
Judgment
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.27487 of 2026
Arising Out of PS. Case No.-45 Year-2026 Thana- TAJPUR District- Samastipur
======================================================
RAJU RAY @ RAJU KUMAR S/o- Devendra Ray R/v- Naua Chak,
Bhagwatpur PS - Sarairanjan Dist- Samastipur
... ... Petitioner/s
Versus
The State of Bihar
... ... Opposite Party/s
======================================================
Appearance :
For the Petitioner/s : Mr. Keshav Bhardwaj, Advocate
For the Opposite Party/s : Mr. Rajesh Kumar, A.P.P.
======================================================
CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE SATYAVRAT VERMA
ORAL ORDER
2 04-05-2026 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, 2022.
3. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that
petitioner has antecedent of eight cases out of which seven cases
are under the Excise Act as would manifest from the
supplementary affidavit and allegation is of recovery of 872
litres of liquor from a government land.
4. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that
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. It is further submitted that
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.27487 of 2026(2) dt.04-05-2026
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petitioner came to be implicated at the instance of the
Chawkidar with whom he is on an inimical term. It is next
submitted that if the Chawkidar was aware of the involvement
of the petitioner in the 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. It is also submitted
that once an accused is implicated in a case relating to excise the
police start implicating mechanically either at the instance of the
Chawkidar, local person, confessional statement or secret
information without holding a proper investigation of the case.
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 appearing on behalf of the petitioner, let the petitioner,
above-named, in the event of his arrest or surrender within a
period of six weeks from today, be released on provisional
anticipatory bail on furnishing bail bonds of Rs.40,000/-
(Rupees Forty Thousand) 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 Tajpur P.S. Case
No. 45 of 2026, subject to the conditions as laid down under
Section 438(2) of the Cr.P.C./482(2) of the B.N.S.S.
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.27487 of 2026(2) dt.04-05-2026
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7. However, 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 more than
eight cases, 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 has antecedent of only eight cases in that event the
provisional anticipatory bail order shall be confirmed forthwith.
(Satyavrat Verma, J)
Kundan/-
U T
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