Created by Fuzzy Cloud

Patna High Court

Sharvan PaswanversusThe State of Bihar

Decided
Disposal
DISPOSED

Holding

The Court conditionally granted anticipatory bail, subject to verification of the petitioner’s antecedents, and ordered its confirmation only if no prior criminal case is found.

Summary

The petitioner, Sharvan Paswan, sought anticipatory bail after being implicated in a case under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Act, 2022 for allegedly transporting 17.25 litres of liquor in his auto‑rickshaw. He argued that he had a clean antecedent, that the liquor was recovered from the vehicle after it was seized from another individual, and that he had no knowledge of the misuse of his vehicle. The State opposed the bail, contending that the petitioner’s ownership of the vehicle linked him to the offence. The Court, after considering the submissions, granted provisional anticipatory bail conditioned on a bail bond of Rs.500 with two sureties and subject to verification of the petitioner’s criminal antecedents. The order stipulated that if any antecedent is discovered, the bail would not be confirmed; otherwise, it would be confirmed forthwith. The decision was based on the provisions of Section 438(2) of the Cr.P.C. and Section 482(2) of the B.N.S.S. Act.

Issues considered

  • Whether anticipatory bail can be granted to a vehicle owner alleged to be involved in a liquor offence under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Act, 2022.
  • Whether the petitioner’s clean antecedent is a condition for confirming the anticipatory bail.

Legislation cited

Subjects

  • anticipatory bail
  • Section 30(a)
  • vehicle ownership
  • clean antecedent
  • bail conditions
  • Criminal Procedure Code

Judgment

                      IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
                              CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.9097 of 2026
                       Arising Out of PS. Case No.-657 Year-2025 Thana- FATEHPUR District- Gaya
                 ======================================================
                 Sharvan Paswan S/O Chando Paswan R/O village- Jorvar Kuraha, P.S.-
                 Sirdala, District- Nawada
                                                                     ... ... Petitioner/s
                                             Versus
                 The State of Bihar
                                                              ... ... Opposite Party/s
                 ======================================================
                 Appearance :
                 For the Petitioner/s     :       Mr. Vinod Kumar, Advocate
                 For the Opposite Party/s :       Mr. Sanjay Kumar Tiwary, A.P.P.
                 ======================================================
                 CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE SATYAVRAT VERMA
                                       ORAL ORDER

2   15-04-2026                  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 offence punishable under Section 30(a) of the

                   Bihar Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Act, 2022.

                                3. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that

                   petitioner is a person with clean antecedent and allegation is of

                   recovery of 17.25 litres of liquor from an auto.

                                4. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that

                   petitioner was not arrested from the spot, as such, nothing was

                   recovered from his conscious possession. It is further submitted

                   that petitioner came to be implicated based on the fact that he is

                   owner of the seized vehicle. It is next submitted that no prudent

                   person would use his own vehicle for committing an occurrence

                   and, thus, would create evidence against himself and, hence,
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.9097 of 2026(2) dt.15-04-2026
                                            2/3




          would get implicated. It is also submitted that petitioner was

          completely unaware that Shivam Kumar would misuse the

          vehicle in the manner as alleged who was also apprehended

          from the spot.

                       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 appearing on behalf of the petitioner, let the petitioner,

          above-named, in the event of his 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 Fatehpur P.S. Case

          No. 657 of 2025, subject to the conditions as laid down under

          Section 438(2) of the Cr.P.C./482(2) of the B.N.S.S.

                       7. However, it is made clear that thereafter the learned

          Trial Court shall verify the criminal antecedent of the petitioner

          and if it is found that petitioner has antecedent of even one case,

          it would be presumed that petitioner had concealed his

          antecedent before this Court at para 3 of the anticipatory bail

          application in that event the provisional anticipatory bail order
           Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.9097 of 2026(2) dt.15-04-2026
                                                       3/3




                     shall not be confirmed but if it is found on verification that

                     petitioner is a person with clean antecedent in that event the

                     provisional anticipatory bail order shall be confirmed forthwith.


                                                                         (Satyavrat Verma, J)

Kundan/-

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.