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Patna High Court

Devendra RayversusThe State of Bihar

Decided
Disposal
DISPOSED

Holding

The Court granted provisional anticipatory bail with conditions, pending verification of the petitioner’s antecedent.

Summary

The petitioner, Devendra Ray, sought anticipatory bail fearing arrest in a case under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Excise Act for alleged possession of large quantities of liquor. He argued that the liquor was located in a joint family house, that he had no conscious possession, and that the 2018 amendment to the Excise Act had abolished the concept of deemed possession. The State opposed the bail. The High Court, considering these submissions, granted provisional anticipatory bail on the condition of a Rs. 500 bond with two sureties, subject to verification of the petitioner’s criminal antecedent under Section 482(2) of the BNSS. The order stipulated that if any antecedent is found, the bail would not be confirmed; otherwise, it would be confirmed forthwith.

Issues considered

  • Whether anticipatory bail can be granted in a case under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Excise Act where alleged possession is deemed rather than actual.
  • Whether the 2018 amendment to the Bihar Excise Act eliminates the concept of deemed possession for bail considerations.
  • Whether the High Court can impose conditions under Section 482(2) of the BNSS while granting anticipatory bail.

Legislation cited

Subjects

  • anticipatory bail
  • excise law
  • deemed possession
  • joint family property
  • Section 30
  • Section 482
  • bail conditions

Judgment

                      IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
                               CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.3160 of 2026
                      Arising Out of PS. Case No.-142 Year-2025 Thana- Benibad District- Muzaffarpur
                 ======================================================
                 Devendra Ray Son of Gulab Ray Resident of Bharat Nagar, P.S. - Benibad,
                 District - Muzaffarpur.

                                                                                     ... ... Petitioner/s
                                                         Versus
                 The State of Bihar
                                                        ... ... Opposite Party/s
                 ======================================================
                 Appearance :
                 For the Petitioner/s     :        Mr.Raju Kumar, Adv
                                                   Mr. Shubham Samrat, Adv
                 For the Opposite Party/s :        Mr.Gauri Shankar Gupta
                 ======================================================
                 CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE SATYAVRAT VERMA
                                       ORAL ORDER

3   26-02-2026               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 162.64 litres of liquor from the house of the

                   petitioner and 63.36 litres of liquor from a place 200 meters

                   away from the house of Dilip.

                             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 after 2018

                   amendment in the Excise Act, the concept of deemed possession
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.3160 of 2026(3) dt.26-02-2026
                                            2/3




          and presumed offender has been done away with. It is next

          submitted that the house in question is a joint family property as

          such it cannot be alleged with certainty that it was petitioner

          who had kept the liquor in the house or the liquor kept in the

          house was within knowledge of the petitioner. It is further

          submitted that he came to be implicated based on secret

          information which is the easiest way to implicate someone

          without holding a proper investigation.

                   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 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 Benibad P.S. Case No. 142 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
              Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.3160 of 2026(3) dt.26-02-2026
                                                          3/3




                        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

                        person with clean antecedent in that event the provisional

                        anticipatory bail order shall be confirmed forthwith.



                                                  (Satyavrat Verma, J)
Sumit/-

U         T


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