Ranju Manjhi v. The State Of Bihar

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA

CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.44887 of 2026 Arising Out of PS. Case No.-209 Year-2026 Thana- BODHGAYA District- Gaya ====================================================== Ranju Manjhi, Son of Kali Manjhi, Resident of Village- Kachanpur, P.S.- Bodhgaya, District- Gaya Ji ... ... Petitioner

Versus

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

For the Petitioner/s : Mr. Ashutosh Kumar, Advocate For the Opposite Party/s : Mr. Umanath Mishra, APP ====================================================== CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE CHANDRA SHEKHAR JHA ORAL ORDER 08-07-2026 Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and learned Additional Public Prosecutor for the State.

2. The accused/petitioner is named in the FIR and apprehending his arrest in connection with Bodh Gaya P.S. Case No.209 of 2026 registered under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Amendment Act, 2022.

3. Allegation against the petitioner is to engage in illegal trade/manufacturing of illicit liquor, where there is recovery of 09 litres of IMFL/country-made liquor.

4. It is submitted by learned counsel appearing for the petitioner that the seized illicit liquor was recovered from the house of the petitioner. It is further submitted that no

Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.44887 of 2026(2) dt.08-07-2026 2/3 recovery has been effected from the conscious and exclusive possession of the petitioner, and there is no material on record to establish his conscious possession of the alleged illicit liquor. It is argued that Section 103(4) of BNSS has not been complied with qua search of premises, inasmuch as no independent witness was associated with the search and seizure list and the seizure witnesses were police personnel themselves. It is also pointed out that the name of the petitioner surfaced solely on the disclosure made by local people. The petitioner claimed clean antecedent.

5. Learned APP opposed the prayer of anticipatory bail to the petitioner.

6. In view of aforesaid factual submissions and by taking note of fact as recovery of illicit liquor prima facie not appears to be made from physical possession of this petitioner, accordingly, the petitioner above-named, who is a man of clean antecedent, in the event of his arrest or surrender in the court below within a period of four weeks from today, is directed to be released on bail on furnishing bail bond of Rs.10,000/- (Rupees Ten Thousand) with two

Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.44887 of 2026(2) dt.08-07-2026 3/3 sureties of the like amount each to the satisfaction of the learned Exclusive Special Excise Court-I, Gayajee in connection with Bodh Gaya P.S. Case No.209 of 2026, subject to the conditions as laid down under Section 482(2) of the BNSS.

(Chandra Shekhar Jha, J.) Raushan/- U T