Pramod Singh @ Pramod Kumar @ Pramod Kumar Singh v. The State Of Bihar

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA

CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.79967 of 2023 Arising Out of PS. Case No.-525 Year-2023 Thana- SARAIYA District- Muzaffarpur ====================================================== Pramod Singh @ Pramod Kumar @ Pramod Kumar Singh S/O Jay Mangal Singh Village- Mugauli, Ps. Saraiya, Dist. Muzaffarpur. ... ... Petitioner/s

Versus

The State of Bihar.

... ... Opposite Party/s ====================================================== Appearance :

For the Petitioner/s :

Mr. Upendra Kumar Chaubey, Advocate For the Opposite Party/s :

Mr. Ramesh Chandra, A.P.P.

====================================================== CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE CHANDRA PRAKASH SINGH ORAL ORDER 19-12-2023 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 Saraiya P.S Case No. 525 of 2023 dated 09.08.2023 for the offences punishable u/ss 272, 273 read with 34 of the I.P.C. and 30(a) of the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act.

4. As per the prosecution case, total 228 litres of illicit liquor was recovered from bushes situated behind the

Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.79967 of 2023(2) dt.19-12-2023 2/3 house of the petitioner.

5. Learned counsel for the petitioner has submitted that the petitioner has falsely been implicated in this case. It is further submitted that the petitioner has no concern with the alleged recovery but he was implicated in this case by local Chaukidar. The said recovery was made from open place which is accessible to anyone. Learned counsel has further submitted that the petitioner is neither owner nor driver of the said vehicle. 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. 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.

Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.79967 of 2023(2) dt.19-12-2023 3/3

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 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, Muzaffarpur in connection with Saraiya P.S Case No. 525 of 2023, subject to conditions as laid down under section 438(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

(Chandra Prakash Singh, J) Nilmani/- U T