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Patna High Court

Anil Sahani @ Anil Kumar SahaniversusThe State of Bihar

Decided
Disposal
DISPOSED

Holding

Provisional anticipatory bail is granted subject to bail bond, sureties, and verification of the petitioner’s criminal antecedent.

Summary

The petitioner, Anil Sahani, sought anticipatory bail fearing arrest in a case under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Act, 2022, alleging recovery of 150 litres of liquor from a field not owned by him. He argued that the police had mechanically implicated him based on a chaukidar's complaint and that no liquor was found in his possession. The State opposed the bail. The Court, after considering the submissions, granted provisional anticipatory bail conditioned on a bail bond of Rs.15,000 with two sureties and subject to verification of the petitioner’s criminal antecedent. If the verification shows more than three prior cases, the bail will not be confirmed; if only three, it will be confirmed. The order is made under Section 438(2) of the Cr.P.C. and Section 482(2) of the B.N.S.S.

Issues considered

  • Whether the petitioner is entitled to anticipatory bail under Section 438 of the Criminal Procedure Code in the context of an offence under the Bihar Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Act, 2022.
  • Whether the petitioner’s criminal antecedent warrants denial of anticipatory bail.

Legislation cited

Subjects

  • anticipatory bail
  • excise offence
  • Section 30(a)
  • criminal antecedent
  • bail conditions
  • Section 438 CrPC
  • Section 482 B.N.S.S.

Judgment

                      IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
                              CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.37420 of 2026
                   Arising Out of PS. Case No.-32 Year-2026 Thana- SUGAULI District- East Champaran
                 ======================================================
                 Anil Sahani @ Anil Kumar Sahani Son of Lalbabu Sahani Resident of Village
                 - Mohawa, P.S.- Sugauli, District - East Champaran.
                                                                            ... ... Petitioner/s
                                                      Versus
                 The State of Bihar
                                                                     ... ... Opposite Party/s
                 ======================================================
                 Appearance :
                 For the Petitioner/s     :       Mr. Sanjay Kumar, Advocate
                 For the Opposite Party/s :       Ms. Asha Kumari, A.P.P.
                 ======================================================
                 CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE SATYAVRAT VERMA
                                       ORAL ORDER

2   16-06-2026                  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 three cases out of which two cases

                   are under the Excise Act and allegation is of recovery of 150

                   litres of liquor from a sugarcane field.

                                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 field which does not belong to the petitioner

                   and he came to be implicated at the instance of the Chawkidar

                   with whom he is on an inimical term. It is next submitted that
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.37420 of 2026(2) dt.16-06-2026
                                            2/3




          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.15,000/-

          (Rupees Fifteen 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 Sugauli P.S. Case

          No. 32 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

          three cases, 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.37420 of 2026(2) dt.16-06-2026
                                                       3/3




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

                     petitioner has antecedent of only three cases in that event the

                     provisional anticipatory bail order shall be confirmed forthwith.


                                                                          (Satyavrat Verma, J)

Kundan/-

U     T


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