Soni Bhagat @ Sanni Kumar v. The State Of Bihar

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA

CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.9185 of 2024 Arising Out of PS. Case No.-214 Year-2023 Thana- GAMAHARIYA District- Madhepura ====================================================== SONI BHAGAT @ SANNI KUMAR Son of Paras Bhagat Resident of Village-Toka, W.No. 11, P.S.-Gamharia, District-Madhepura. ... ... Petitioner/s

Versus

The State of Bihar Bihar ... ... Opposite Party/s ====================================================== Appearance :

For the Petitioner/s :

Mr.Nafisu Zzoha For the Opposite Party/s :

Mr.Akshay Lal Pandit ====================================================== CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE CHANDRA PRAKASH SINGH ORAL ORDER 22-02-2024 Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and learned Additional Public Prosecutor for the State.

2. The petitioner is apprehending his/her arrest in a case in connection with Gamharia P.S. Case No. 214 of 2023 dated 28.11.2023 for the offence/s punishable u/s 279 of the IPC and section 30(a) of the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act.

3. As per the prosecution case, total 192.510 litres of illicit foreign liquor was recovered from the car.

4. Learned counsel for the petitioner has submitted that the petitioner is innocent and has falsely been implicated in this case. No incriminating material has been recovered from the conscious possession of the petitioner. The petitioner is neither the owner nor the driver of the said vehicle. The father of the

Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.9185 of 2024(2) dt.22-02-2024 2/3 petitioner is the owner of the said vehicle. The petitioner has no concern with the alleged recovery. The petitioner has no criminal antecedent as stated in para 3 of the bail petition. Learned counsel has submitted that no case is made out against the petitioner. Learned Counsel has relied on the judgment of Full Bench of Hon'ble Patna High Court in the case of Ram Vinay Yadav vs. State of Bihar 2019 (2) PLJR 1089. The Full Bench in the case of Ram Vinay Yadav (supra) has held that an application for anticipatory bail in a case arising out of Bihar Excise and Prohibition Act can be maintained, despite the bar under Section 76 (2) of the Act, if on the basis of allegation made in the FIR, no offence under the said provision is made out.

5. Learned A.P.P. for the State has vehemently opposed the prayer for anticipatory bail of the petitioner by submitting that the bar of Section 76(2) of the Act applies in this case.

6. Considering the aforesaid facts and circumstances of the case as well as the material available on record, let the above named petitioner, in the event of his arrest/surrender within a period of six weeks from today, be enlarged on anticipatory bail on furnishing bail-bond of Rs. 20,000/-

Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.9185 of 2024(2) dt.22-02-2024 3/3 (Rupees twenty thousand) with two sureties of the like amount each to the satisfaction of the learned court concerned, Madhepura in connection with Gamharia P.S. Case No. 214 of 2023, subject to conditions as laid down under section 438(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

7. The application stands allowed.

(Chandra Prakash Singh, J) guddukr/- U T