Patna High Court
Shiv Kumari DeviversusThe State of Bihar
- Decided
- Disposal
- DISPOSED
- Bench
- SATYAVRAT VERMA
Holding
The High Court held that provisional anticipatory bail may be granted conditionally under Section 482(2) of the BNSS, subject to bond, sureties and verification of the petitioner’s criminal antecedent.
Summary
The petitioner, Shiv Kumari Devi, sought anticipatory bail fearing arrest in a case under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Excise Act for alleged recovery of 22 litres of liquor from her house and 15 litres from a neighbour’s straw house. She argued she has a clean antecedent, was not arrested on the spot, and the liquor was in a joint‑family property, so she could not be said to have possession or knowledge. The State opposed the bail. The High Court, applying its inherent powers under Section 482(2) of the BNSS, granted provisional anticipatory bail on the condition of a Rs 500 bond and two sureties, directing the trial court to verify her criminal antecedent before confirming the bail. If any antecedent is found, the bail will not be confirmed; if she remains clean, the bail will be confirmed. The order is subject to verification and compliance with the stipulated conditions.
Issues considered
- Whether anticipatory bail can be granted in a case under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Excise Act where the alleged liquor is in a joint‑family house and the petitioner claims no possession.
- Whether the High Court can exercise its inherent powers under Section 482(2) of the BNSS to grant provisional anticipatory bail pending verification of antecedents.
Legislation cited
- Bihar Excise Act — s. 30(a)
- BNSS — s. 482(2)
Subjects
- anticipatory bail
- Bihar Excise Act
- Section 30
- Section 482
- joint family property
- possession
- high court inherent powers
Judgment
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.84160 of 2025
Arising Out of PS. Case No.-102 Year-2025 Thana- Shahartelpa P.S. District- Arwal
======================================================
Shiv Kumari Devi Wife of Ganga Ram Mahto R/O Village- Radhe Nagar,
P.S.- Shahartelpa, Distt.- Arwal
... ... Petitioner/s
Versus
The State of Bihar Patna
... ... Opposite Party/s
======================================================
Appearance :
For the Petitioner/s : Mr.Paras Nath
For the Opposite Party/s : Mr.Madan Kumar
======================================================
CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE SATYAVRAT VERMA
ORAL ORDER
2 23-02-2026 1. Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and
learned A.P.P. for the State.
2. The petitioner apprehends her 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 is a woman and
allegation is of recovery of 22 litres of liquor from the house of
the petitioner and 15 litres of liquor from the straw house of
Durga Kumar.
4. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the
petitioner was not arrested from the spot as such nothing was
recovered from her conscious possession and after 2018
amendment in the Excise Act, the concept of deemed possession
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.84160 of 2025(2) dt.23-02-2026
2/3
and presumed offender has been done away with. It is next
submitted that the house in question is a joint family property as
such it cannot be alleged with certainty that it was petitioner
who had kept the liquor in the house or the liquor kept in the
house was within knowledge of the petitioner. It is further
submitted that she came to be implicated based on secret
information which is the easiest way to implicate someone
without holding a proper investigation when petitioner
admittedly is a person with clean antecedent.
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 her 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 Shahartelpa P.S. Case No. 102 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
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.84160 of 2025(2) dt.23-02-2026
3/3
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 her 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
person with clean antecedent in that event the provisional
anticipatory bail order shall be confirmed forthwith.
(Satyavrat Verma, J)
Sumit/-
U T
Checking your session…
Lawyer court records for this case
Associated through the court’s case reference.