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Patna High Court

Ram Janam YadavversusThe State of Bihar

Decided
Disposal
DISPOSED

Holding

The Court held that provisional anticipatory bail may be granted subject to conditions and verification of the petitioner’s antecedents.

Summary

The petitioner, Ram Janam Yadav, was implicated in a case under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Act, 2022 for the alleged recovery of 10 litres of liquor from a motorcycle he owned, which was parked in the courtyard of Kavita Devi and Chandan Kumar. He argued that he had no conscious possession of the liquor, had a clean antecedent, and was unaware of any misuse of his vehicle by the co‑accused. The State opposed his application for anticipatory bail. The Court, after considering the submissions, granted provisional anticipatory bail subject to a bail bond of Rs.500 with two sureties and conditioned the confirmation of bail on verification of the petitioner’s criminal antecedents. If any prior case is found, the bail will not be confirmed; otherwise, it will be confirmed forthwith. The order was 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 circumstances of the case.
  • Whether ownership of the vehicle used in the alleged offence suffices to implicate the petitioner under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Act, 2022.

Legislation cited

Subjects

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

Judgment

                      IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
                              CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.38044 of 2026
                     Arising Out of PS. Case No.-143 Year-2025 Thana- PRATAPGANJ District- Supaul
                 ======================================================
                 Ram Janam Yadav S/o Bahadur Yadav Resident of Village - Sripur, Ward No.
                 11, P.S.- Pratapganj, District - Supaul
                                                                          ... ... Petitioner/s
                                                      Versus
                 The State of Bihar
                                                                   ... ... Opposite Party/s
                 ======================================================
                 Appearance :
                 For the Petitioner/s     :       Ms. Patla Kumari, Advocate
                 For the Opposite Party/s :       Mr. Lakshmi Kant Sharma, 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, 2022.

                                3. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that

                   petitioner is a person with clean antecedent and allegation is of

                   recovery of 10 litres of liquor from a motorcycle parked in the

                   courtyard of Kavita Devi and Chandan Kumar.

                                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 further submitted that no

                   prudent person would use his own vehicle for committing an
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.38044 of 2026(2) dt.17-06-2026
                                            2/3




          occurrence and, thus, would create evidence against himself

          and, hence, would get implicated. It is also submitted that

          petitioner was completely unaware that Chandan Kumar would

          misuse the vehicle in the manner as alleged who was also

          apprehended from the spot along with Kavita Devi.

                       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 Pratapganj P.S.

          Case No. 143 of 2025, 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
           Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.38044 of 2026(2) dt.17-06-2026
                                                       3/3




                     application in that event the provisional anticipatory bail order

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

                     petitioner 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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