Jagdamba Ram v. The State Of Bihar

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA

Civil Writ Jurisdiction Case No.6925 of 2022 ====================================================== Jagdamba Ram Son of Kurath Ram Resident of Mohalla 1/92 Laxmi Bihar Prem Nagar 3, EI, AR- III Kirari Suleman, Delhi, Pin- 110086, at present address village Ora P.S. Aurangabad Mufassil, District Aurangabad (Bihar) ... ... Petitioner/s

Versus

1.

The State of Bihar through Principal Secretary, Excise Department, Government of Bihar, Patna.

2.

The District Magistrate, Aurangabad.

3.

The Officer-in-Charge, Nagar Police Station, District- Aurangabad. ... ... Respondent/s ====================================================== Appearance :

For the Petitioner/s :

Mr.Shailesh Kumar Singh, Advocate For the Respondent/s :

Mr.Kumar Manish (SC5) ====================================================== CORAM: HONOURABLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE and HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE S. KUMAR ORAL ORDER (Per: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE S. KUMAR) 12-05-2022 Heard learned counsel for the parties.

Petitioner has prayed for the following relief(s): "For a direction to the respondents authorities to release the vehicle i.e. Reg. No. DL4CAM9845 in favour of the petitioner which has been seized by respondent in connection with Aurangabad Town P.S. Case No. 455/2019 registered under section 30(a), 37(b), 37(c) of the Bihar Prohibition Excise Act 2018 and further to quash the order dated 06.02.2021 passed by Senior Additional Collector cum Spl. Officer Excise No. 5 Aurangabad in Excise Case No. 104/2021 by which order has been passed to confiscation vehicle."

2/4 Petitioner has approached this Court without exhausting the statutory remedy of appeal against the impugned order, as such, petitioner is granted liberty to avail the remedy of appeal against the confiscation order passed by the Confiscating Authority- cum- District Magistrate, before the Appellate Authority and if any such appeal is filed within 4 weeks then appellate authority shall condone the delay in filing the appeal and shall decide the appeal on its own merit preferably within 8 weeks from the date of its filing. During pendency of appeal, the confiscated vehicle shall not be auction sold, if not already auction sold.

OR It is submitted on behalf of counsel for the State that during pendency of writ petition, there has been amendment in the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Rules, 2021 and a new Rule 12(B) has been inserted which reads as under:- "12B. Release of Premises on Payment of Penalty: - (1) If any premises or part thereof has been seized or sealed by any police or excise officer under the Act, then in terms of section-57B (2) of the Act, the Collector or an officer authorized by him, upon receipt of an application in Form V from the owner of the said premises, may release or unseal the said premises or part thereof upon payment of such penalty as may be ordered by the Collector or the officer authorized by him.

3/4 coming forward, the Collector or the officer authorized by him shall, after waiting for 15 days from the date of seizure/sealing, proceed to confiscate the premises as per the provisions of the Act.

(2) The Collector or the officer authorized by him shall have due regard to the economic status of the individual, nature of his involvement in the crime, location of the premises and the quantum of intoxicant recovered while deciding the quantum of fine to be paid by the individual. However, the fine shall not be less than Rs. one Lakh in any case. In any case, the Collector shall not wait beyond 15 days from the date of seizure/sealing and if during this period, the accused/owner does not pay up the penalty he shall proceed with the confiscation/auction.

(3) Notwithstanding above, if on a report by police officer or excise officer, the Collector or the officer authorized by him is satisfied that releasing the premises shall not be in the public interest, the Collector or the officer authorized by him shall proceed ahead with the confiscation of the said premises or part thereof and its subsequent auction/disposal.

(4) Such penalty shall be, regardless of the outcome of the trial if any, before the Special Court, non-refundable.

(5) The owner of the Premises shall, after the release of the premises, allow the inspection of the premises as and when desired by the authorities.

[Explanation: In all pending/ongoing cases of confiscation/ auction of premises, the Collector or the officer authorized by him may give an opportunity to the existing owner to pay the aforesaid penalty and get the premises released. Upon satisfaction of ownership and upon payment of such penalty, the ongoing confiscation/auction proceeding may be dropped and the premises released.]"

In view of amendment in the Excise Act, and same being applicable in pending case, it shall be open for the petitioner to get his/her vehicle released after making payment of penalty in terms of Rule 12(A) inserted by amending Bihar Prohibition and Excise Rules, 2021.

4/4 With aforesaid observation and direction, the writ petition stands disposed of.

(Sanjay Karol, CJ) ( S. Kumar, J) K.C.Jha/DKS U