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Patna High Court

Shila Thakur @ Shilanath ThakurversusThe State of Bihar

Decided
Disposal
DISPOSED

Holding

The court granted provisional anticipatory bail to the petitioner, subject to a bail bond, sureties, and verification of his antecedents.

Summary

The petitioner sought anticipatory bail in a case under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Act, 2018, alleging that 26.64 litres of liquor were recovered from his motorcycle but he was not arrested at the spot and had no conscious possession. He argued he had a clean antecedent and was unaware that another person misused his vehicle. The State opposed the bail. The High Court, considering the submissions, directed that the petitioner be released on provisional anticipatory bail upon furnishing a bail bond of Rs.500 with two sureties, subject to verification of his criminal antecedents and compliance with Section 482(2) of the B.N.S.S. The order was conditioned that if any antecedent is found, the bail would not be confirmed; otherwise, it would be confirmed forthwith. The application was allowed.

Issues considered

  • Whether anticipatory bail should be granted to the petitioner under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Act, 2018.
  • Whether the petitioner’s ownership of the vehicle and alleged involvement justify denial of anticipatory bail.
  • Whether the conditions prescribed under Section 482(2) of the B.N.S.S. are applicable.

Legislation cited

Subjects

  • anticipatory bail
  • excise law
  • vehicle seizure
  • clean antecedent
  • Section 30(a)
  • Section 482(2)
  • provisional bail

Judgment

                      IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
                              CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.9495 of 2026
                      Arising Out of PS. Case No.-273 Year-2025 Thana- Excise P.S. District- Bhojpur
                 ======================================================
                 Shila Thakur @ Shilanath Thakur S/O Raghunath Thakur Resident of Village-
                 Ujari Senduari, Police Station- Madhaurah, District- Saran, Bihar.

                                                                                      ... ... Petitioner/s
                                                         Versus
                 The State of Bihar

                                                        ... ... Opposite Party/s
                 ======================================================
                 Appearance :
                 For the Petitioner/s     :        Mr. Akash Kumar Mishra, Advocate
                 For the Opposite Party/s :        Mr. Md. Nazir Ansari, APP
                 ======================================================
                 CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE SATYAVRAT VERMA
                                       ORAL ORDER

2   23-02-2026                  Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and learned

                   APP for the State.

                                2. Petitioner apprehends his arrest in a case registered

                   for the offence punishable under Section 30(a) of Bihar

                   Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Act, 2018.

                                3. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that

                   petitioner is a person with clean antecedent and allegation is of

                   recovery of 26.64 litres of liquor from a motorcycle. It is next

                   submitted that petitioner was not arrested from the spot, as such,

                   nothing was recovered from his conscious possession and he

                   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, would get
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.9495 of 2026(2) dt.23-02-2026
                                            2/3




          implicated. It is also submitted that petitioner was completely

          unaware that Aakash Kumar would misuse the vehicle in the

          manner as alleged, who was also apprehended from the spot

          along with Manish Kumar and Rahul Kumar.

                       4. Learned A.P.P. opposes the anticipatory bail

          application.

                       5. 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-bond in the

          sum of Rs.500/- (Rupees Five Hundred) with two sureties of the

          like amount each to the satisfaction of learned Exclusive Special

          Excise Court No.2, Bhojpur, Ara in connection with Excise Ara

          P.S. Case No.273 of 2025, subject to the conditions laid down

          under Section 482(2) of the B.N.S.S.

                       6. The application stands allowed.

                       7. It is made clear that the learned trial Court after

          accepting the provisional bail bond 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.9495 of 2026(2) dt.23-02-2026
                                                           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)

Sanjay/-

U          T


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