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Patna High Court

Pappu TiwariversusThe State of Bihar

Decided
Disposal
DISPOSED

Holding

The Court provisionally granted anticipatory bail to the petitioner, subject to verification of his antecedents and compliance with the stipulated conditions.

Summary

The petitioner, Pappu Tiwari, was implicated in a case under Sections 30(a) and 32 of the Bihar Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Act, 2018 for allegedly possessing 18 litres of liquor recovered from a motorcycle he owned. He argued that he had no prior criminal record, was not in possession of the liquor at the time of arrest, and was unaware that another individual, Abhijeet Kumar, misused his vehicle. The State opposed his request 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 conditions under Section 438(2) of the Cr.P.C. and Section 482(2) of the B.N.S.S. The order is conditional on verification of the petitioner’s antecedents; if a prior case is found, the bail will not be confirmed, otherwise it will be confirmed.

Issues considered

  • Whether the petitioner is entitled to anticipatory bail under Section 438 of the Criminal Procedure Code in a case under the Bihar Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Act, 2018.
  • Whether ownership of the vehicle from which liquor was recovered can be equated with possession for the purpose of Sections 30(a) and 32 of the Act.

Legislation cited

Subjects

  • anticipatory bail
  • possession
  • vehicle ownership
  • excise law
  • clean antecedent
  • Section 438 CrPC

Judgment

                      IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
                              CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.32833 of 2026
                     Arising Out of PS. Case No.-619 Year-2025 Thana- Excise P.S. District- Gopalganj
                 ======================================================
                 Pappu Tiwari S/o Uma Tiwari R/o Village - Khajuriya Kalyanpur, P.S. -
                 Bhore, District - 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. Chandra Sen Prasad Singh, A.P.P.
                 ======================================================
                 CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE SATYAVRAT VERMA
                                       ORAL ORDER

2   13-05-2026                  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 offences punishable under Sections 30(a) and

                   32 of the Bihar Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Act, 2018.

                                3. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that

                   petitioner is a person with clean antecedent and allegation is of

                   recovery of 18 litres of liquor from a motorcycle.

                                4. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that

                   petitioner was not arrested from the spot, as such, nothing was

                   recovered from his conscious possession. It is further submitted

                   that petitioner 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 create evidence against himself and, hence,
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.32833 of 2026(2) dt.13-05-2026
                                            2/3




          would get implicated. It is also submitted that petitioner was

          completely unaware that Abhijeet Kumar would misuse the

          vehicle in the manner as alleged who was also apprehended

          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 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.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 Gopalganj Excise

          P.S. Case No. 619 of 2025, subject to the conditions as laid

          down under Section 438(2) of the Cr.P.C./482(2) of the B.N.S.S.

                       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 even one case,

          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
           Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.32833 of 2026(2) dt.13-05-2026
                                                       3/3




                     shall not be confirmed but if it is found on verification that

                     petitioner is a person with clean antecedent in that event the

                     provisional anticipatory bail order shall be confirmed forthwith.


                                                                          (Satyavrat Verma, J)

Kundan/-

U     T


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