Patna High Court
Guddu KumarversusThe State of Bihar
- Decided
- Disposal
- DISPOSED
- Bench
- SATYAVRAT VERMA
Holding
The court granted provisional anticipatory bail subject to conditions and verification of the petitioner’s antecedent.
Summary
Guddu Kumar sought anticipatory bail after the police registered a case under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Excise Act alleging he was involved in the recovery of 35 litres of liquor from a motorcycle and one litre from a person named Md. Nausad. The petitioner argued he was not caught in the act, did not own the vehicle, and the case was based solely on a confessional statement made by another accused, Mukesh, while in police custody, which he claimed lacked evidentiary value. The State opposed the bail, contending the seriousness of the offence. The High Court, considering the submissions, granted provisional anticipatory bail subject to a bail bond of Rs.15,000 with two sureties and directed verification of the petitioner’s criminal antecedent. The order stipulated that if the petitioner is found to have more than three prior cases, the bail would not be confirmed; otherwise, it would be confirmed forthwith.
Issues considered
- Whether anticipatory bail can be granted in a case under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Excise Act where the primary evidence is a confessional statement of a co‑accused.
- Whether the petitioner’s prior criminal antecedent of three cases affects the grant of anticipatory bail.
Legislation cited
- Bihar Negotiable Securities Act — s. 482(2)
Subjects
- anticipatory bail
- excise offence
- confessional statement
- police investigation
- criminal antecedent
- Bihar Excise Act
- Section 30(a)
- Section 482(2)
Judgment
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.90878 of 2025
Arising Out of PS. Case No.-339 Year-2019 Thana- LALGANJ District- Vaishali
======================================================
Guddu Kumar S/o Radhe Krishna Rai @ Radha Krishan Rai R/o village-
Salempur, PS- Lalganj, District- Vaishali
... ... Petitioner/s
Versus
The State of Bihar
... ... Opposite Party/s
======================================================
Appearance :
For the Petitioner/s : Ms. Bela Singh, Advocate
For the Opposite Party/s : Mr. Chandra Bhushan Prasad, APP
======================================================
CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE SATYAVRAT VERMA
ORAL ORDER
2 12-01-2026 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
petitioner has antecedent of three cases and allegation is of
recovery of 35 liters of liquor from a motorcycle and one liter of
liquor from possession of Md. Nausad.
4. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that
petitioner was not apprehended from the spot as such nothing
was recovered from his conscious possession and is not the
owner of the seized vehicle and he came to be implicated based
on confessional statement of Mukesh in police custody which
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.90878 of 2025(2) dt.12-01-2026
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does not have any evidentiary value. It is also submitted that
once an accused is implicated in a case relating to excise, the
police starts implicating mechanically either at the instance of
Chowkidar, local person, confessional statement or secret
information without holding a proper investigation.
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 before the learned Trial Court
within a period of six weeks from today, be released on
Provisional anticipatory bail on furnishing bail bonds of Rs.
15,000/- (Rupees Fifteen 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 Lalganj
P.S. Case No. 339 of 2019 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 more
than three cases then it would be presumed that petitioner, for
the purposes of seeking anticipatory bail, had concealed his
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.90878 of 2025(2) dt.12-01-2026
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antecedent before this Court, as such, the provisional
anticipatory bail order shall not be confirmed, but after
verification if it is found that petitioner has antecedent of three
cases only, in that event the provisional anticipatory bail order
shall be confirmed forthwith.
(Satyavrat Verma, J)
Rishabh/-
U T
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