Patna High Court
Dhananjay Kumar @ Karu @ ChhotuversusThe State of Bihar
- Decided
- Disposal
- DISPOSED
- Bench
- SATYAVRAT VERMA
Holding
The court allowed the anticipatory bail application, granting provisional bail subject to bond, sureties and verification of antecedents.
Summary
The petitioner, Dhananjay Kumar, applied for anticipatory bail under Section 438 of the Cr.P.C. in connection with a case under Section 30(a) of the Excise Act alleging recovery of 12.21 litres of liquor from his joint family house. The petitioner argued that he was not arrested on the spot, that the liquor was not in his conscious possession, and that the recent amendment to the Excise Act had abolished the concepts of deemed possession and presumed offender. The State opposed the bail. The High Court, after considering the submissions, granted provisional anticipatory bail conditioned on a bail bond of Rs.5,000 with two sureties and a further deposit of Rs.2,500 with the Advocates’ Association, subject to verification of the petitioner’s criminal antecedents. The order stipulated that if more than one prior case is found, the bail may be revoked, otherwise it will be confirmed.
Issues considered
- Whether anticipatory bail can be granted when the alleged offence involves alleged possession of liquor in a joint family house without conscious possession.
- Effect of the amendment to the Excise Act removing deemed possession on the grant of anticipatory bail.
- What conditions may be imposed under Section 438(2) of the Cr.P.C. for provisional anticipatory bail.
Legislation cited
- Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 — s. 438(2)
- Excise Act — s. 30(a)
Subjects
- anticipatory bail
- Excise Act
- Section 30
- joint family property
- deemed possession
- Section 438
- bail conditions
- criminal antecedent
Judgment
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.6712 of 2026
Arising Out of PS. Case No.-272 Year-2025 Thana- EKANGARSARAI District- Nalanda
======================================================
Dhananjay Kumar @ Karu @ Chhotu Son of Late Balindar Prasad R/o
Village - Dhanhar, P.S. - Ekangar Sarai, Dist. - Nalanda(Bihar).
... ... Petitioner/s
Versus
The State of Bihar
... ... Opposite Party/s
======================================================
Appearance :
For the Petitioner/s : Mr.Rajeev Kumar
For the Opposite Party/s : Mr.Manoj Kumar
======================================================
CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE SATYAVRAT VERMA
ORAL ORDER
2 04-02-2026 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 has antecedent of one case under the Excise Act
and allegation is of recovery of 12.21 litres of liquor from the
house of the petitioner.
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 the house in
question is a joint family property and thus, it cannot be alleged
with certainty that it was the petitioner, who had kept the liquor
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.6712 of 2026(2) dt.04-02-2026
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in the house or the liquor kept in the house was within his
knowledge and after Amendment in the Excise Act, 2018, the
concept of deemed possession and presumed offender has been
done away with and he was implicated in the instant case at the
instance of children who were present in the house.
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.5,000/- (Rupees Five Thousand) 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 Ekangarsarai P. S. Case No.272 of 2025, 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 more than one case, then
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.6712 of 2026(2) dt.04-02-2026
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it would be presumed that petitioner for the purposes of
obtaining 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 has antecedent of one case only, in that event, the
provisional anticipatory bail order shall be confirmed forthwith.
9. At this stage, the learned counsel appearing on
behalf of the petitioner based on instruction submits that
petitioner undertakes to deposit an amount of Rs.2500/- with
Advocates’ Association, Patna High Court, Patna within a
period of two weeks from today.
(Satyavrat Verma, J)
vikash/-
U T
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