Manoj Sahani @ Manoj Sahni v. The State Of Bihar

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA

CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.15145 of 2024 Arising Out of PS. Case No.-274 Year-2023 Thana- BASOPATTI District- Madhubani ====================================================== Manoj Sahani @ Manoj Sahni Son of Gulai Sahani R/o Village- Khauna, P.S.- Basopatti, Dist.- Madhubani ... ... Petitioner/s

Versus

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

For the Petitioner/s :

Mr. Bhavesh Sah, Adv For the Opposite Party/s :

Mr. Humayou Ahmad Khan, APP ====================================================== CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE CHANDRA PRAKASH SINGH ORAL ORDER 07-03-2024 Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and learned Additional Public Prosecutor for the State.

2. The Petitioner is apprehending his arrest in connection with Basopatti P.S. Case No. 274 of 2023 dated 10.12.2023 of the offences punishable u/s 272, 273, 34 of the I.P.C. and 30(a) of the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act 2018.

3. As per the prosecution case, total 900 litres of illicit Nepali liquor was recovered from the Bolero pick-up van.

4. Learned counsel for the petitioner has submitted that the petitioner is innocent and has falsely been implicated in this case. The petitioner has no criminal antecedent as stated at para 3 of the bail petition. The petitioner is not the owner of the owner of the said vehicle and the same was not being driven by

Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.15145 of 2024(2) dt.07-03-2024 2/3 the petitioner at the time of the alleged recovery. The name of the petitioner has transpired in this case only on the basis of the confessional statement of the co-accused Dharambir Yadav. No incriminating article has been recovered from the conscious possession of the petitioner, hence no case is made out. 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 reported in 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 nature of allegation against the petitioner, 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.

Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.15145 of 2024(2) dt.07-03-2024 3/3 20,000/- (Rupees twenty thousand) with two sureties of the like amount each to the satisfaction of the learned court concerned, Madhubani, in connection with Basopatti P.S. Case No. 274 of 2023 subject to conditions as laid down under section 438(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

7. This application stands allowed.

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