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Patna High Court

Divya KumariversusThe State of Bihar

Decided
Disposal
DISPOSED

Holding

The Court granted provisional anticipatory bail to the petitioner, subject to verification of her criminal antecedent.

Summary

Divya Kumari, a woman with a clean criminal record, sought anticipatory bail after being implicated in a case under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Excise Act for the alleged recovery of 35 litres of liquor from a motorcycle she owned. She argued that the liquor was not in her conscious possession and that her cousin, who was apprehended at the scene, had misused the vehicle without her knowledge. The State opposed the bail, contending that the allegations warranted arrest. The High Court, considering the petitioner's clean antecedent and the circumstances, granted provisional anticipatory bail on the condition of furnishing bail bonds and two sureties, subject to verification of any prior criminal antecedent. The order stipulated that if any antecedent is discovered, the bail would be revoked; otherwise, the provisional bail would be confirmed.

Issues considered

  • Whether the petitioner is entitled to anticipatory bail under Section 482(2) of the BNSS in a case registered under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Excise Act.
  • Whether the ownership of the vehicle and lack of conscious possession of the liquor justify the grant of anticipatory bail.

Legislation cited

Subjects

  • anticipatory bail
  • Bihar Excise Act
  • Section 30(a)
  • vehicle ownership
  • clean antecedent
  • bail conditions
  • Section 482(2)

Judgment

                      IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
                              CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.37378 of 2026
                      Arising Out of PS. Case No.-292 Year-2025 Thana- SHIVSAGAR District- Rohtas
                 ======================================================
                 Divya Kumari Wife of Shankar Kumar Resident of Village - Pachilakhi, P.S.-
                 Durgawati, District - Kaimur . At present residing in vill.- Tenduni, P.S.-
                 Chenari, District - Rohtas

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

                                                        ... ... Opposite Party/s
                 ======================================================
                 Appearance :
                 For the Petitioner/s     :       Mr.Rabindra Kumar
                 For the Opposite Party/s :       Ms.Renuka Ratnakar (App 125)
                 ======================================================
                 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 her 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 is a woman and

                   allegation is of recovery of 35 litres of liquor from a motorcycle.

                             4.    Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the

                   petitioner was not arrested from the spot as such nothing was

                   recovered from her conscious possession and she came to be

                   implicated based on the fact that she is owner of the seized

                   vehicle. It is next submitted that no prudent person would use
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.37378 of 2026(2) dt.29-06-2026
                                            2/3




          her own vehicle for committing an occurrence and thus would

          create evidence against herself and hence would get implicated,

          it is further submitted that petitioner was completely unaware

          that her cousin brother (Abhimanyu) would misuse the vehicle

          in the manner as alleged, who was also apprehended from the

          spot. It is also submitted that it is not the case of the prosecution

          that they saw a woman fleeing from the place of occurrence.

                   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 her 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 Sheosagar P.S. Case No. 292 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.37378 of 2026(2) dt.29-06-2026
                                                          3/3




                        seeking anticipatory bail, had concealed her 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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