Raj Karan Sah v. The State Of Bihar
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.78056 of 2023 Arising Out of PS. Case No.-354 Year-2023 Thana- BATHNAHA District- Sitamarhi ====================================================== Raj Karan Sah Son Of Late Bhikhari Sah R/O Village- Suhai, Ward No.12, P.S.- Dumra, District- Sitamarhi ... ... Petitioner/s
Versus
The State of Bihar ... ... Opposite Party/s ====================================================== Appearance :
For the Petitioner/s :
Mr.Hans Lal Kumar For the Opposite Party/s :
Mr.Gauri Shankar Gupta ====================================================== CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE CHANDRA PRAKASH SINGH ORAL ORDER 02-01-2024 Learned counsel for the petitioner is permitted to remove the defect(s), as pointed out by the office, if any, within a period of three weeks from today.
2. Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and learned Additional Public Prosecutor for the State.
3. The Petitioner is apprehending his arrest in connection with Bathnaha P.S. Case No. 354 of 2023 dated 18.08.2023 for the offences punishable u/s 30(a) of the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act.
4. As per the prosecution case, total 134.4 litres of illicit liquor has been recovered from the vehicle. The apprehended co-accused disclosed the name of the petitioner.
5. Learned counsel for the petitioner has submitted
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.78056 of 2023(2) dt.02-01-2024 2/3 that the petitioner has falsely been implicated in this case. The petitioner has no criminal 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. The name of the petitioner has sprung up in the confessional statement of the co-accused Santosh Kumar and Ajit Kumar. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.78056 of 2023(2) dt.02-01-2024 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, Sitamarhi in connection with Bathnaha P.S. Case No. 354 of 2023, subject to conditions as laid down under section 438(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
(Chandra Prakash Singh, J) atul/- U T