Anant Kumar Jha @ Anant Jha v. The State Of Bihar

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA

CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.11574 of 2024 Arising Out of PS. Case No.-116 Year-2023 Thana- SAKATPUR District- Darbhanga ====================================================== Anant Kumar Jha @ Anant Jha S/O Jagdish Jha Resident Of VillageKanakpur, Police Station- Sakatpur, District- Darbhanga ... ... Petitioner/s

Versus

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

For the Petitioner/s :

Mr. Nilendu Kumar Choudhary, Adv.

For the Opposite Party/s :

Mr. Ramesh Chandra, APP.

====================================================== CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE CHANDRA PRAKASH SINGH ORAL ORDER 28-02-2024 Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and learned Additional Public Prosecutor for the State.

2. The petitioner is apprehending his arrest in a case in connection with Sakatpur P.S. Case No. 116 of 2023 dated 19.12.2023 for the offence punishable u/s 30(a) of the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act, 2016.

3. As per the prosecution case, total 226.365 litres of illicit foreign liquor was recovered from a four wheeler.

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 said vehicle

Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.11574 of 2024(2) dt.28-02-2024 2/3 was not being driven by the petitioner at the time of the alleged occurrence. Local people disclosed the name of the petitioner. The petitioner has no concern with the alleged recovery. The petitioner has one other 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

Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.11574 of 2024(2) dt.28-02-2024 3/3 anticipatory bail on furnishing bail-bond of Rs. 20,000/- (Rupees twenty thousand) with two sureties of the like amount each to the satisfaction of the learned court concerned, Darbhanga in connection with Sakatpur P.S. Case No. 116 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) annpurna/- U T