Bhola Rai v. The State Of Bihar

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA

Criminal Miscellaneous No.5572 of 2018 Arising Out of PS.Case No. -347 Year- 2017 Thana -AGAMKUAN District- PATNA ====================================================== Bhola Rai S/o Ranjit Rai, resident of village- Didarganj, P.S.- Didarganj, District- Patna.

.... .... Petitioner/s

Versus

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

For the Petitioner/s : Mr. Jay Ram Prasad, Advocate For the State : Smt. Nirmala Kumari, APP ====================================================== CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE ASHWANI KUMAR SINGH ORAL ORDER 08-02-2018 Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and learned counsel for the State.

The petitioner seeks pre-arrest bail in connection with Special Case No.4474 of 2017 arising out of Agamkuan P.S. Case No.347 of 2017 registered under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act, 2016.

Section 76(1) of the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act, 2016 stipulates that all offences under this Act shall be cognizable and non-bailable. Its sub-section (2) stipulates that section 438 of the Code of Criminal Procedure shall not apply to the offences under the Excise Act.

Keeping in mind the allegations made in the F.I.R. and the statutory bar to grant of pre-arrest bail to those booked under

Patna High Court Cr.Misc. No.5572 of 2018 (2) dt.08-02-2018 2/2 the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act, 2016, in my considered opinion, an application under Section 438 of the Code of Criminal Procedure in the present matter is not maintainable. Thus, the petition is dismissed as not maintainable. In case the petitioner surrenders and seeks bail, the learned Special Judge shall be required to dispose of the same on merits taking into consideration the observations made by this Court in the matter of Ashok Sahani vs. State of Bihar [(2017) 3 PLJR 632].

(Ashwani Kumar Singh, J) Md.S./- U T