Bhola Manjhi v. The State Of Bihar

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA

CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.37169 of 2026 Arising Out of PS. Case No.-554 Year-2025 Thana- WARISLIGANJ District- Nawada ====================================================== Bhola Manjhi Son of Saryug Manjhi Resident Of Village -Rasanpur, P.s.- Warsaliganj, District -Nawada ... ... Petitioner/s

Versus

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

For the Petitioner/s :

Mr. Sheo Nandan Prasad, Adv.

Mr. Rajnish Kumar, Adv.

Ms. Sweta Burnwal, Adv.

For the Opposite Party/s :

Mr. Pradeep Narain Kumar ====================================================== CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE SATYAVRAT VERMA ORAL ORDER 29-06-2026

1. Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and learned A.P.P. for the State.

2. The petitioner apprehends his arrest in a case registered for the offence punishable under Section 30(a) of Bihar Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Act, 2022.

3. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that petitioner has antecedent of three cases, out of which, two cases are under the Excise Act and allegation is of recovery of 30 litres of liquor from a pond. It is next submitted that petitioner was not arrested from the spot as such nothing was recovered from his conscious possession and even alleged recovery is from a place which does not belong to the petitioner and is accessible to villagers and he came to be implicated at the instance of chowkidar with whom he is on an inimical term. It is

Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.37169 of 2026(2) dt.29-06-2026 2/3 also submitted that once an accused is implicated in a case relating to excise, the police starts implicating mechanically either through chowkidar, local person, confessional statement or secret information without holding a proper investigation.

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

5. Considering the submissions made by the learned counsel for the petitioner, the petitioner above-named, in the event of his arrest or surrender within a period of six weeks from today, be released on provisional anticipatory bail on furnishing bail bonds of Rs.15,000/- (Rupees fifteen thousand) with two sureties of the like amount each to the satisfaction of the learned trial court where the case is pending/successor court in connection with Warsaliganj P.S. Case No.554/2025, subject to the conditions as laid down under Section 482(2) of the B.N.S.S.

6. It is made clear that the learned trial court thereafter shall verify the criminal antecedents of the petitioner and in the event if it is found that petitioner has antecedent of more than three cases, in that event, it would be presumed that petitioner had concealed his antecedent before this court, as such, the provisional anticipatory bail order shall not be confirmed but if

Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.37169 of 2026(2) dt.29-06-2026 3/3 on verification it is found that petitioner has antecedent of three cases, in that event the provisional anticipatory bail order shall be confirmed forthwith.

(Satyavrat Verma, J) amit/- U T