Patna High Court
Neeraj KumarversusThe State of Bihar
- Decided
- Disposal
- DISPOSED
- Bench
- SATYAVRAT VERMA
Holding
The court held that anticipatory bail is warranted and granted provisional bail subject to verification of the petitioner’s antecedent.
Summary
The petitioner, Neeraj Kumar, applied for anticipatory bail under Section 438(2) of the Criminal Procedure Code in connection with a case registered under Section 47(a) of the Excise Act for alleged recovery of 8.460 litres of liquor. He asserted a clean criminal antecedent and argued that the alleged liquor was recovered from a location not belonging to him, with no possession at the time of arrest. The State opposed the bail application. The Court, after 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 verification of his antecedent. The order stipulated that if any antecedent is discovered, the bail would not be confirmed; otherwise, it would be confirmed forthwith. The application was allowed, granting provisional anticipatory bail.
Issues considered
- Whether anticipatory bail should be granted under Section 438 CrPC for an offence under Section 47(a) of the Excise Act.
- Whether the petitioner’s clean antecedent and lack of possession justify the grant of bail.
- Whether provisional bail pending verification of antecedent is appropriate.
Legislation cited
- Criminal Procedure Code — s. 438(2)
- Excise Act — s. 47(a)
Subjects
- anticipatory bail
- Excise Act
- Section 47
- Section 438
- clean antecedent
- provisional bail
- high court
Judgment
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.44382 of 2026
Arising Out of PS. Case No.-41 Year-2012 Thana- GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL COMP.
District- Gaya
======================================================
Neeraj Kumar S/o Late Rajnandan Mahto R/o Village - Dumarson, P.S -
Tekari, District - Gaya
... ... Petitioner/s
Versus
The State of Bihar
... ... Opposite Party/s
======================================================
Appearance :
For the Petitioner/s : Mr. Sunil Kumar Yadav
For the Opposite Party/s : Mr. Chandra Bhushan Prasad- A.P.P.
======================================================
CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE SATYAVRAT VERMA
ORAL ORDER
2 08-07-2026 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 47(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 8.460 litres of liquor from a place near a cinema
hall.
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 even alleged
recovery is from a place, which does not belong to the petitioner
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.44382 of 2026(2) dt.08-07-2026
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and he came to be implicated based on secret information which
is the easiest way to implicate someone without holding a
proper investigation, when admittedly petitioner is a person with
clean antecedent.
5. Learned A.P.P. Sri Chandra Bhushan Prasad
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
Excise P. S. Case No.41 of 2012, 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.44382 of 2026(2) dt.08-07-2026
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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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