Shiv Shankar Manjhi v. The State Of Bihar

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA

CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.36094 of 2019 Arising Out of PS. Case No.-155 Year-2019 Thana- SIWAN MUFFASIL District- Siwan ====================================================== SHIV SHANKAR MANJHI S/o Jawahar Manjhi R/o village- Akopur Bindusar Hamid Purab Tola, P.O.- Benusar Bujurg, P.S.- Muffasil Siwan, District- Siwan ... ... Petitioner/s

Versus

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

For the Petitioner/s :

Mr.Kundan Kumar For the Opposite Party/s :

Mr.Indu Kumari Srivastava ====================================================== CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE DINESH KUMAR SINGH ORAL ORDER 11-06-2020 The matter has been taken up through virtual court proceeding.

Heard learned counsels for the petitioner and the State.

The present application has been filed with a prayer for bail in a case registered for the offences punishable under Sections 272,273 and 414 of the IPC and Sections 30(a)/41(i) of the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act, 2016, as amended by Act A bench of this Court, vide order dated 10.06.2019, granted provisional bail to the petitioner who was in custody since 10.04.2019 and further directed the matter to be listed after disposal of S.L.P. (C) Nos. 27949-29763 of 2016, wherein

2/4 the vires of the Bihar Excise Act, 1915 and the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act, 2016 is under challenge. The relevant portion of the order reads as follows:- "Recently, the Full Bench of this Court in a case i.e. Criminal Appeal (SJ) No. 431 of 2019 (Ram Vinay Yadav vs. The State of Bihar) has noticed that vires of entire Excise Act as well as amended Excise Act is pending before the Hon'ble Supreme Court. The Court is of opinion that since vires of entire Excise Act is already sub-judice before the Hon'ble Supreme Court, it would not be appropriate for this court to finally dispose of any case pertaining to Excise Act. However, at the same time, it would not be appropriate to allow a person to remain in custody for an indefinite period.

List this matter after disposal of S.L.P. (C) Nos. 27949-29763 of 2016 and connected writ petitions pending before the Hon'ble Supreme Court.

Till further order, the petitioners namely Shiv Shankar Manjhi is directed to be released provisionally on bail on furnishing bail bond of Rs. 10,000/- (ten thousand) each with two sureties of the like amount each to the satisfaction of learned learned Additional District & Sessions Judge 2nd -cum- Special Judge, Excise Act, Siwan in connection with Muffasil P.S. Case No. 155 of 2019."

Due to present pandemic, Covid-19, the physical court proceedings in the Supreme Court are not being

3/4 conducted, as a result, there is no likelihood of the aforementioned S.L.P. being disposed of in near future. Hence, the application has been heard on merits.

As per the prosecution case, total 135 litres of Indian Made Foreign liquor were recovered from a Hundai Santro car. The petitioner was found driving the car in question. It is submitted by learned counsel for the petitioner that the recovery has not been made from the conscious physical possession of the petitioner. The petitioner was simply driving the car in question which belonged to co-accused Manoj Kumar Kushwaha. A statement has been made in paragraph no.3 of the petition that the petitioner is not having any criminal antecedent. It is further submitted that there is nothing on record to suggest that the petitioner has misused the privilege of provisional bail. Learned APP submits that the recovery has been made from the car which was being driven by the petitioner.

Considering the aforesaid facts and submissions of the parties, particularly the fact that there is nothing on record to suggest that the petitioner has misused the privilege of provisional bail and the petitioner has remained on provisional bail for a considerable period, the provisional bail granted to the petitioner vide order dated 10.06.

4/4 Muffasil P.S. Case No. 155 of 2019, pending in the Court of learned Additional District & Sessions Judge 2nd -cum- Special Judge, Excise Act, Siwan, is hereby confirmed. Accordingly, the order dated 10.6.2019 stands modified to the extent of placing the matter after disposal of aforementioned SLP.

The present application is, accordingly, disposed of. (Dinesh Kumar Singh, J) anil/- U