Sona Rai v. The State Of Bihar

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA

CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.11486 of 2026 Arising Out of PS. Case No.-114 Year-2025 Thana- MAKER District- Saran ====================================================== Sona Rai, S/o- Banarasi Rai, Village-Jamira, P.S.-Dariyapur, District-Saran ... ... Petitioner/s

Versus

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

For the Petitioner/s :

Mr. Sanjay Kumar Singh, Adv.

For the Opposite Party/s :

Mr. Nand Kumar, APP ====================================================== CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE KHATIM REZA ORAL ORDER 17-02-2026 Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and learned A.P.P for the State.

2. The petitioner seeks bail in connection with Maker P.S. Case No. 114 of 2025 dated 17.05.2025 registered for the offence punishable under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act.

3. The allegation is of recovery of 2574.72 litres illicit foreign liquor from Hywa Truck bearing Reg. No. BR04B7688.

4. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the petitioner is innocent and has been falsely implicated in this case. It is submitted that nothing has been recovered from the conscious possession of the petitioner, rather, the

Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.11486 of 2026(2) dt.17-02-2026 2/3 said illicit liquor has been recovered from the truck which belongs to the petitioner. It is submitted that the petitioner has been made accused only on the basis that he is the owner of the said truck but he had no knowledge about the said illicit liquor being carried by the Driver and Co-driver. It is further submitted that at the time of occurrence, two persons were arrested, who have been granted bail by a coordinate Bench of this Court. Pankaj Kumar (Driver) and Deepak Kumar (Co-driver) have been granted bail vide order dated 15.07.2025 passed in Criminal Miscellaneous No. 44990 of 2025 and Mahesh Rai has been granted bail vide order dated 30.08.2025 passed in Criminal Miscellaneous No. 40867 of 2025. The petitioner is in custody since 15.12.2025, having no criminal antecedent and charge-sheet has been submitted in the case.

5. Learned A.P.P for the State opposes the prayer for bail of the petitioner.

6. Having considered the facts and circumstances of the case and submissions of learned counsel for the parties, let the petitioner be released on bail upon furnishing bail bonds of Rs. 10,000/- (ten thousand) with two sureties

Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.11486 of 2026(2) dt.17-02-2026 3/3 of the like amount each to the satisfaction of the learned 3rd Exclusive Special Excise Court, Saran at Chapra in connection with Maker P.S. Case No. 114 of 2025. (Khatim Reza, J) prabhat/- U T