Punam Choudhary v. The State Of Bihar

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA

CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.815 of 2022 Arising Out of PS. Case No.-85 Year-2021 Thana- MAHESHKHUNT District- Khagaria ====================================================== PUNAM CHOUDHARY, (Female), aged about 35 years, W/O Abadh Kishor Choudhary, R/o village- Sadhobad, P.S.- Barwadda, District- Dhanbad. ... ... Petitioner

Versus

THE STATE OF BIHAR ... ... Opposite Party ====================================================== Appearance :

For the Petitioner :

Mr. Anil Kumar Choudhary, Advocate For the Opposite Party :

Mrs. Veena Rani Prasad, A.P.P.

====================================================== CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE SUDHIR SINGH ORAL ORDER 11-02-2022 Due to the third wave of COVID-19 Pandemic, the matter is being taken up by way of Virtual Court proceeding. The matter has been listed under the heading 'For Orders' under the orders of Hon'ble the Chief Justice. Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and learned A.P.P. for the State through Virtual mode.

Learned counsel for the petitioner is directed to remove the defects, as pointed out by the office, within a period of four weeks after restoration of normalcy.

The petitioner is apprehending her arrest in connection with Maheshkhunt P.S. Case No. 85/2021, for the offence registered under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Act, 2018.

The prosecution story, in brief, is that total 648 liters

Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.815 of 2022(2) dt.11-02-2022 2/3 wine is recovered from the Pick-up Van in question. It has been submitted by learned counsel for the petitioner that the petitioner has got no criminal antecedent. She has falsely been implicated in the present case. There is no allegation of tampering with the witnesses alleged against the petitioner. It is alleged that total 648 liters wine is recovered from the Pick-up Van in question. The petitioner is alleged to be the owner of the said Pick-up Van in question. The said Pick-up Van is run as a public carrier. Except for this, there is no other substantive evidence to suggest the implication of the petitioner in this case. The petitioner is a lady. Nothing incriminating has been recovered from the conscious possession of the petitioner. The petitioner had no knowledge regarding the nature of goods booked by the Transporter. There is no compliance of Section 100 Cr. P.C.

On behalf of the State, it is submitted that the petitioner is named in the F.I.R/ Complaint Case. It is necessary to indicate here that this Court while considering the prayer made in the present anticipatory bail application has taken note of the exponential rise in number of covid cases due to outbreak of third wave of Covid-19 pandemic. Further this Court can also not lose sight of the fact

Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.815 of 2022(2) dt.11-02-2022 3/3 that the condition of jails is not conducive and suitable to the present situation which has arisen due to the sudden rise in covid cases.

Considering the aforesaid facts and circumstances, the petitioner, above named, in the event of arrest/surrender before the learned court below within a period of twelve weeks from today, be released on anticipatory bail on her personal bonds to the satisfaction of the learned Special Judge, (Excise), Khagaria, in connection with Maheshkhunt P.S. Case No. 85/2021, subject to the conditions as laid down under Section 438(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Once the normalcy is restored, the petitioner shall furnish bail bonds of Rs. 10,000/-(Rupees Ten Thousand) with two sureties of the like amount each within a period of eight weeks to the satisfaction of the court concerned in connection with the aforesaid case.

(Sudhir Singh, J) U.K./- U T