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Patna High Court

Upendra SinghversusThe State of Bihar

Decided
Disposal
DISPOSED

Holding

Provisional anticipatory bail is granted to the petitioner subject to bail bond, sureties and verification of his criminal antecedents.

Summary

The petitioner, Upendra Singh, was implicated in a case under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Act, 2018 for the alleged recovery of 39.96 litres of liquor from a motorcycle he owned. He argued that he had no conscious possession of the liquor, had a clean antecedent, and was unaware that another person, Ramadhar Sah, misused his vehicle. The State opposed his request for anticipatory bail. The Court considered that ownership of the vehicle does not automatically imply participation in the offence and noted the petitioner’s lack of prior criminal record. Consequently, the Court granted provisional anticipatory bail, subject to a bail bond of Rs.500 with two sureties and a condition that the trial court verify his antecedents before confirming the bail. If any antecedent is found, the bail will not be confirmed; otherwise, it will be confirmed forthwith.

Issues considered

  • Whether the petitioner is entitled to anticipatory bail under Section 438 of the Cr.P.C. in a case of alleged liquor possession under the Bihar Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Act, 2018.

Legislation cited

Subjects

  • anticipatory bail
  • Section 30(a)
  • Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act
  • clean antecedent
  • bail conditions
  • Criminal Procedure Code

Judgment

                      IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
                              CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.37568 of 2026
                    Arising Out of PS. Case No.-166 Year-2023 Thana- KUTUMBA District- Aurangabad
                 ======================================================
                 Upendra Singh S/o Late Gaya Singh Resident of Village - Gamhariya P.S
                 NTPC Khaira, Dist. - Aurangabad (Bihar), PIN - 824303.
                                                                            ... ... Petitioner/s
                                                  Versus
                 The State of Bihar
                                                                     ... ... Opposite Party/s
                 ======================================================
                 Appearance :
                 For the Petitioner/s     :      Mr. Pramendra Kumar Singh, Advocate
                 For the Opposite Party/s :      Mr. Pawan Kumar Chaurasia, A.P.P.
                 ======================================================
                 CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE SATYAVRAT VERMA
                                       ORAL ORDER

2   17-06-2026                  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, 2018.

                                3. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that

                   petitioner is a person with clean antecedent and allegation is of

                   recovery of 39.96 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.37568 of 2026(2) dt.17-06-2026
                                            2/3




          would get implicated. It is also submitted that petitioner was

          completely unaware that Ramadhar Sah 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 Kutumba P.S. Case

          No. 166 of 2023, 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.37568 of 2026(2) dt.17-06-2026
                                                       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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