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Patna High Court

Manoj Kahar @ Monaj KumarversusThe State of Bihar

Decided
Disposal
DISPOSED

Holding

The Court conditionally granted provisional anticipatory bail, subject to bond, sureties and verification of the petitioner’s antecedent.

Summary

Manoj Kahar was implicated in a case under Sections 30(a) and 32(3) of the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act for the alleged recovery of two litres of liquor from a motorcycle he owned. He contended that he had a clean antecedent, was not in actual possession of the liquor, and was unaware that the vehicle was being misused by another person. The State opposed his request for anticipatory bail. The High Court, after considering the submissions, granted provisional anticipatory bail on the condition that the petitioner furnish a bail bond of Rs.500 with two sureties and that the trial court verify his criminal antecedent. The order further stipulated that if any antecedent is discovered, the bail would not be confirmed; otherwise, it would be confirmed forthwith.

Issues considered

  • Whether anticipatory bail can be granted in a case involving alleged possession of liquor under the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act.
  • Whether ownership of the vehicle used in the alleged offence is sufficient to attract criminal liability.
  • Whether the petitioner’s clean antecedent is a condition for confirming anticipatory bail.

Legislation cited

Subjects

  • anticipatory bail
  • Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act
  • criminal antecedent
  • vehicle ownership
  • Section 438
  • Section 482

Judgment

                      IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
                              CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.39327 of 2026
                    Arising Out of PS. Case No.-1064 Year-2025 Thana- Excise P.S. District- Kishanganj
                 ======================================================
                 Manoj Kahar @ Monaj Kumar S/o Ganesh Kahar R/o Village - Moharmari,
                 Bagalbari, P.S. - Kochadhaman, District - Kishanganj.
                                                                              ... ... Petitioner/s
                                                   Versus
                 The State of Bihar
                                                                       ... ... Opposite Party/s
                 ======================================================
                 Appearance :
                 For the Petitioner/s     :        Mr. Ram Prawesh Kumar, Advocate
                 For the Opposite Party/s :        Mr. Parmanand Prasad, A.P.P.
                 ======================================================
                 CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE SATYAVRAT VERMA
                                       ORAL ORDER

2   22-06-2026                  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 Sections 30(a) and

                   32(3) of the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act.

                                3. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that

                   petitioner is a person with clean antecedent and allegation is of

                   recovery of 2 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.39327 of 2026(2) dt.22-06-2026
                                            2/3




          would get implicated. It is also submitted that petitioner was

          completely unaware that Raju would misuse the vehicle in the

          manner as alleged who was also apprehended from the spot

          alogn with Nagesh.

                       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 Madya Nisedh P.S.

          Case No. 1064 of 2025 giving rise to Special Case No. 1082 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.39327 of 2026(2) dt.22-06-2026
                                                       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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