Santosh Kumar Mandal v. The State Of Bihar
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.30418 of 2024 Arising Out of PS. Case No.-33 Year-2021 Thana- NADI P.S. District- Patna ====================================================== Santosh Kumar Mandal SON OF DHANRAJ MANDAL R/O MOHALLACENTRAL COLONY PHUSRO BOKARO PS- PHUSRO BAZAR, DISTRICT -BOKARO JHARKHAND ... ... Petitioner/s
Versus
The State of Bihar BIHAR ... ... Opposite Party/s ====================================================== Appearance :
For the Petitioner/s :
Mr.Shivanand Singh For the Opposite Party/s :
Mr.Suresh Prasad Singh ====================================================== CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE CHANDRA PRAKASH SINGH ORAL ORDER 10-05-2024 Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and learned Additional Public Prosecutor for the State.
2. The Petitioner is apprehending his arrest in connection with Nadi P.S. Case No. 33 of 2021 dated 28.02.2021 for the offences punishable u/ss 420, 467, 468, 471/34 of I.P.C and 30(a), 36, 41(i) of the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act.
3. As per the prosecution case, total 2231.25 litres of illicit liquor was recovered from the truck.
4. Learned counsel for the petitioner has submitted that the petitioner has falsely been implicated in this case. It is further submitted that the petitioner is neither the owner nor the driver of the said truck. The co-accused namely, Naresh
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.30418 of 2024(2) dt.10-05-2024 2/3 Chhabra disclosed the name of the petitioner. The petitioner has clean antecedent as stated at para 3 of the bail petition. No incriminating article has been recovered from the conscious possession of the petitioner, hence no case is made out. Similarly situated co-accused has already been granted bail by this court vide order dated 11.01.2024 passed in Cr. Misc. No. 81040 of 2023. 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
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.30418 of 2024(2) dt.10-05-2024 3/3 arrest/surrender within a period of six weeks from today, be enlarged on 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, Patna City, Patna in connection with Nadi P.S. Case No. 33 of 2021, subject to conditions as laid down under section 438(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
(Chandra Prakash Singh, J) guddukr/- U T