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Patna High Court

Sukhari SinghversusThe State of Bihar

Decided
Disposal
DISPOSED

Holding

The Court ordered provisional anticipatory bail for the petitioner, subject to bond, sureties, and verification of his criminal antecedent.

Summary

The petitioner, Sukhari Singh, was implicated in a case under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Excise Act for the alleged recovery of 34.560 litres of liquor from a motorcycle he owned. He contended that he had a clean criminal record, was not in actual possession of the liquor, and was unaware that another person, Krishna, misused his vehicle. The State opposed his application for anticipatory bail. The High Court, after considering the submissions, granted provisional anticipatory bail conditioned on a bail bond of Rs.500 and two sureties, subject to verification of the petitioner’s antecedent by the trial court. The order stipulated that if any prior case is discovered, the provisional bail would not be confirmed; otherwise, it would be confirmed forthwith.

Issues considered

  • Whether anticipatory bail can be granted when the accused is not in actual possession of the contraband but is the owner of the vehicle used.
  • Whether ownership of a vehicle suffices as a basis for accusation under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Excise Act.
  • What conditions may be imposed under Section 482(2) of the BNSS when granting anticipatory bail.

Legislation cited

Subjects

  • anticipatory bail
  • excise law
  • possession
  • vehicle ownership
  • criminal antecedent
  • Section 30
  • Section 482

Judgment

                      IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
                              CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.44189 of 2026
                 Arising Out of PS. Case No.-52 Year-2025 Thana- EXCISE JAGDISHPUR District- Bhojpur
                 ======================================================
                 Sukhari Singh S/o Baldev Singh R/o Village - Mahuwav, P.S - Bihiya, District
                 - Bhojpur

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

                                                        ... ... Opposite Party/s
                 ======================================================
                 Appearance :
                 For the Petitioner/s     :      Mr.Bibhakar Tiwary
                 For the Opposite Party/s :      Mr.Umeshanand Pandit
                 ======================================================
                 CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE SATYAVRAT VERMA
                                       ORAL ORDER

2   07-07-2026               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 34.560 litres of liquor from a 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

                   vehicle. It is next submitted that no prudent person would use

                   his own vehicle for committing an occurrence and thus would
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.44189 of 2026(2) dt.07-07-2026
                                            2/3




          create evidence against himself and hence would get implicated,

          it is further submitted that petitioner was completely unaware

          that Krishna would misuse the vehicle in the manner as alleged,

          who was also apprehended from the spot.

                   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 Excise Jagdishpur P.S. Case No. 52 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

          confirmed, but after verification if it is found that petitioner is a
              Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.44189 of 2026(2) dt.07-07-2026
                                                          3/3




                        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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