Patna High Court
Sita Ram Paswan @ Sitaram Paswan @ SitaramversusThe State of Bihar
- Decided
- Disposal
- DISPOSED
- Bench
- SATYAVRAT VERMA
Holding
The Court granted provisional anticipatory bail to the petitioner, subject to verification of his antecedent and compliance with Section 438(2) conditions.
Summary
The petitioner, Sita Ram Paswan, applied for anticipatory bail anticipating arrest in a case under Section 30(a) of the Excise Act for alleged recovery of 240 litres of liquor from his auto. He argued that he has a clean antecedent, was not in possession of the liquor at the time of seizure, and was unaware of his son’s alleged misuse of the vehicle. The State opposed the bail. The Court, considering the submissions, directed that the petitioner be released on provisional anticipatory bail upon furnishing bail bonds of Rs.500 with two sureties, subject to conditions under Section 438(2) of the Cr.P.C. The trial court was instructed to verify his antecedent and confirm the bail if clean, otherwise revoke it.
Issues considered
- Whether anticipatory bail can be granted under Section 438 Cr.P.C. in a case under Section 30(a) of the Excise Act
- Whether ownership of the vehicle implicates the owner in the alleged offence
- Whether the petitioner’s clean antecedent warrants grant of anticipatory bail
Legislation cited
- Criminal Procedure Code — s. 438(2)
- Excise Act — s. 30(a)
Subjects
- anticipatory bail
- Excise Act
- Section 30(a)
- Section 438
- vehicle ownership
- clean antecedent
Judgment
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.42715 of 2026
Arising Out of PS. Case No.-45 Year-2026 Thana- PIPRA District- Patna
======================================================
Sita Ram Paswan @ Sitaram Paswan @ Sitaram S/O Late Kailash Paswan
R/O Vill.- Daudvigaha, P.S.- Agamkuan, Dist.- Patna.
... ... Petitioner/s
Versus
The State of Bihar
... ... Opposite Party/s
======================================================
Appearance :
For the Petitioner/s : Mr.Abhishek Rai
For the Opposite Party/s : Mr.Nitya Nand Tiwary
======================================================
CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE SATYAVRAT VERMA
ORAL ORDER
2 02-07-2026 1. Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and
learned APP for the State.
2. The petitioner seeks bail in anticipation of his
arrest in a case registered for the offences punishable under
Section 30(a) of the Excise Act.
3. The learned counsel for the petitioner submits that
the petitioner is a person with clean antecedent and allegation is
of recovery of 240 litres of liquor from an auto.
4. The learned counsel for the petitioner submits that
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
vehicle for committing a crime and thus, would create evidence
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.42715 of 2026(2) dt.02-07-2026
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against himself and hence, would get implicated. It is further
submitted that petitioner was completely unaware that his son
Raja Kumar would misuse the vehicle in the manner as alleged
as he was also apprehended at the spot.
5. Learned A.P.P. opposes the anticipatory bail
application.
6. Considering the submissions made by the learned
counsel for the petitioner, the petitioner, above-named, in the
event of his arrest or surrender before the learned Court below
within a period of six weeks, is directed to be released on
provisional anticipatory bail on his furnishing bail-bonds in the
sum 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
Pipra P. S. Case No.45 of 2026, subject to the conditions laid
down under Section 438(2) of the Cr.P.C.
7. The application stands allowed.
8. It is made clear that the learned trial Court after
accepting the provisional bail bonds of the petitioner 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 obtaining
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.42715 of 2026(2) dt.02-07-2026
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anticipatory bail had concealed his antecedent before this Court,
in that event, the present provisional anticipatory bail order shall
not be confirmed, but if on verification, 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)
vikash/-
U T
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