Patna High Court
Premchand Paswan @ Ranjan KumarversusThe State of Bihar
- Decided
- Disposal
- DISPOSED
- Bench
- SATYAVRAT VERMA
Holding
The Court provisionally granted anticipatory bail to the petitioner, subject to bail bonds, sureties, and verification of his criminal antecedent.
Summary
The petitioner, Premchand Paswan, sought anticipatory bail fearing arrest in a case under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Act, 2022, alleging recovery of 17 litres of liquor from a location not in his possession. He argued that he was implicated mechanically by police without proper investigation and that the alleged liquor was accessible to villagers. The State opposed the bail. The Court, after considering the submissions, granted provisional anticipatory bail conditioned on a bail bond of Rs.20,000 with two sureties, subject to verification of the petitioner’s criminal antecedent within six weeks. If more than four prior cases are found, the bail will not be confirmed; if only four are found, it will be confirmed. The order is made under Section 438(2) of the Cr.P.C. and Section 482(2) of the Bihar Narcotic and Substance (B.N.S.S.) Act.
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, 2022
- Whether the petitioner’s criminal antecedent warrants denial of anticipatory bail
Legislation cited
- Bihar Narcotic and Substance (B.N.S.S.) Act — s. 482(2)
- Criminal Procedure Code — s. 438(2)
Subjects
- anticipatory bail
- excise law
- Section 30(a) Bihar Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Act 2022
- criminal antecedent
- provisional bail
Judgment
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.36443 of 2026
Arising Out of PS. Case No.-270 Year-2026 Thana- GAYA MUFASIL District- Gaya
======================================================
Premchand Paswan @ Ranjan Kumar S/o M. P. Paswan @ Ramswarup
Paswan R/o Village - Bhadeja, PS - Mufassil, District - Gaya
... ... Petitioner/s
Versus
The State of Bihar
... ... Opposite Party/s
======================================================
Appearance :
For the Petitioner/s : Mr. Sudhir Kumar Sinha, Advocate
For the Opposite Party/s : Mr. Arun Kumar Pandey, A.P.P.
======================================================
CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE SATYAVRAT VERMA
ORAL ORDER
2 29-06-2026 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 four cases under the Excise Act and
allegation is of recovery of 17 litres of liquor from a place near
Nimhar Aahar.
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 villagers at large. It is next submitted that
petitioner came to be implicated at the instance of the local
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.36443 of 2026(2) dt.29-06-2026
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person but then it is 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.20,000/-
(Rupees Twenty 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 Mufassil P.S.
Case No. 270 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.
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 four
cases, it would be presumed that petitioner had concealed his
antecedent before this Court at para 3 of the anticipatory bail
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.36443 of 2026(2) dt.29-06-2026
3/3
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 four cases in that event the
provisional anticipatory bail order shall be confirmed forthwith.
(Satyavrat Verma, J)
Kundan/-
U T
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