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Patna High Court

Nanhak Yadav @ Nanhku Yadav @ Nank YadavversusThe State of Bihar

Decided
Disposal
DISPOSED

Holding

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

Summary

The petitioner, Nanhak Yadav, sought anticipatory bail fearing arrest in a case under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Act, 2022, alleging that 175 litres of liquor and 200 litres of Jawa Mahua were recovered from a kiln not under his possession. He argued that the recovery was from a public place and that the police had mechanically implicated him without proper investigation. The State opposed the bail. The Court, applying Section 438(2) of the Cr.P.C. and Section 482(2) of the Bihar Negotiable Instruments (Security) Act, granted provisional anticipatory bail conditioned on a bail bond of Rs.20,000 with two sureties, and directed verification of his criminal antecedent. If more than four prior cases are found, the bail will not be confirmed; if only four, it will be confirmed. The order is subject to the trial court’s satisfaction.

Issues considered

  • Whether anticipatory bail can be granted to the petitioner under Section 438 Cr.P.C. in a case under the Bihar Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Act, 2022.
  • Whether the petitioner’s alleged lack of possession of the seized liquor and the manner of investigation justify granting bail.
  • Whether the petitioner’s criminal antecedent affects the confirmation of anticipatory bail.

Legislation cited

Subjects

  • anticipatory bail
  • excise law
  • liquor seizure
  • criminal antecedent
  • Section 30
  • Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act
  • Section 438 CrPC
  • Section 482 B.N.S.S.

Judgment

                      IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
                              CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.39048 of 2026
                       Arising Out of PS. Case No.-328 Year-2025 Thana- CHAKAND District- Gaya
                 ======================================================
                 Nanhak Yadav @ Nanhku Yadav @ Nank Yadav S/o Deo Sharan Yadav @
                 Durga Yadav R/o Village- Dali Bigha, P.S -Chakand, District - Gaya Ji
                                                                             ... ... Petitioner/s
                                                   Versus
                 The State of Bihar
                                                                      ... ... Opposite Party/s
                 ======================================================
                 Appearance :
                 For the Petitioner/s     :      Mr. Shailesh Kumar, Advocate
                 For the Opposite Party/s :      Ms. Pronoti Singh, A.P.P.
                 ======================================================
                 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 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 four cases under the Excise Act and

                   allegation is of recovery of 175 litres of liquor from a kiln

                   behind the village Simariya along with 200 litres of Jawa Mahua

                   which was destroyed at the spot.

                                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 place which does not belong to the petitioner

                   and is accessible to villagers at large and came to be implicated
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.39048 of 2026(2) dt.29-06-2026
                                            2/3




          at the instance of the Chawkidar. It is further submitted that

          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.20,000/-

          (Rupees Twenty 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 Chakand P.S.

          Case No. 328 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 more than four

          cases, 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.39048 of 2026(2) dt.29-06-2026
                                                       3/3




                     application in that event the provisional anticipatory bail order

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

                     petitioner has antecedent of only four cases in that event the

                     provisional anticipatory bail order shall be confirmed forthwith.


                                                                          (Satyavrat Verma, J)

Kundan/-

U     T


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