Patna High Court
Divya KumariversusThe State of Bihar
- Decided
- Disposal
- DISPOSED
- Bench
- SATYAVRAT VERMA
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
- Bihar Excise Act — s. 30(a)
- Bihar Negotiable Instruments/Criminal Procedure Code (BNSS) — s. 482(2)
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
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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
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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
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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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