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Patna High Court

Hari ChaudhariversusThe State of Bihar

Decided
Disposal
DISPOSED

Holding

The court held that the petitioner is entitled to provisional anticipatory bail subject to bond, sureties and verification of antecedent under Section 482(2) of the BNSS.

Summary

The petitioner, Hari Chaudhari, was implicated in a case under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Excise Act for the alleged recovery of 220 litres of liquor from an auto and 200 litres from two motorcycles. He asserted that he had a clean antecedent, was not in possession of the liquor at the time of arrest, and was unaware that his vehicle was misused by others. The State opposed his request for anticipatory bail. The High Court, after considering the submissions, granted provisional anticipatory bail conditioned on a bail bond of Rs. 500, two sureties of the same amount, and verification of the petitioner’s criminal antecedent, invoking Section 482(2) of the BNSS. The order stipulated that if any antecedent is discovered, the bail would be revoked, but if the petitioner is found to have a clean record, the provisional bail would be confirmed.

Issues considered

  • Whether the petitioner is entitled to anticipatory bail under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Excise Act.
  • Whether ownership of the vehicle used in the alleged offence implicates the petitioner.
  • Whether the petitioner’s clean antecedent and lack of possession of the seized liquor justify anticipatory bail.
  • Whether provisional anticipatory bail can be granted subject to verification of antecedent under Section 482(2) of the BNSS.

Legislation cited

Subjects

  • anticipatory bail
  • Bihar Excise Act
  • liquor seizure
  • clean antecedent
  • provisional bail
  • Section 482(2) BNSS

Judgment

                      IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
                              CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.38426 of 2026
                    Arising Out of PS. Case No.-263 Year-2025 Thana- PARANDABAR District- Nawada
                 ======================================================
                 Hari Chaudhari S/o Kallu Chaudhari R/o Village - Jagarnathpur Khas, P.S. -
                 Fatehpur, Dist. - Gaya.

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

                                                        ... ... Opposite Party/s
                 ======================================================
                 Appearance :
                 For the Petitioner/s     :      Mr.Amarendra Kumar
                 For the Opposite Party/s :      Mr.Sanjay Kumar Pandey
                 ======================================================
                 CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE SATYAVRAT VERMA
                                       ORAL ORDER

2   18-06-2026               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 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 allegation is of

                   recovery of 220 litres of liquor from an Auto and 200 litres of

                   liquor from two motorcycle.

                             4.    Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the

                   petitioner was not arrested from the spot as such nothing was

                   recovered from his conscious possession and he came to be

                   implicated based on the fact that he is owner of the seized auto.

                   It is next submitted that no prudent person would use his own
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.38426 of 2026(2) dt.18-06-2026
                                            2/3




          vehicle for committing an occurrence and thus would create

          evidence against himself and hence would get implicated, it is

          further submitted that petitioner was completely unaware that

          Ranjan would misuse the vehicle in the manner as alleged, who

          was also apprehended from the spot along with Vicky.

                   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 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 Parnadabar P.S. Case No. 263 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

          seeking anticipatory bail, had concealed his antecedent before this

          Court, as such, the provisional anticipatory bail order shall not be
              Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.38426 of 2026(2) dt.18-06-2026
                                                          3/3




                        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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