Created by Fuzzy Cloud

Patna High Court

Neeraj KumarversusThe State of Bihar

Decided
Disposal
DISPOSED

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

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
                                            2/3




          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
                                                           3/3




                         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


Continue reading with your account

Sign in to read the full judgment. It’s free.

Sign in to read

Checking your session…

Lawyer court records for this case

Associated through the court’s case reference.

For a signed copy suitable for filing, refer to the court's website.