Upendra Rai v. The State Of Bihar

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA

CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.86631 of 2023 Arising Out of PS. Case No.-55 Year-2023 Thana- KANGLI District- West Champaran ====================================================== 1.

Upendra Rai Son of Late Mukhlal Rai @ late Mukhlal Nut Resident of Village - Kathiya Mathiya Mahto Tola, Police Station - Kangali, DistrictWest Champaran. 2.

Most. Bhutani Devi @ Most Bhutan Devi Wife of Late Mukhlal Rai @ Late Mukhlal Nut Resident of Village - Kathiya Mathiya Mahto Tola, Police Station - Kangali, District- West Champaran.

... ... Petitioner/s

Versus

The State of Bihar.

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

For the Petitioner/s :

Mr. Brij Kishor Mishra, Advocate.

For the Opposite Party/s :

Mr. Tarun Prasad Mandal, A.P.P.

====================================================== CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE CHANDRA PRAKASH SINGH ORAL ORDER 30-01-2024 Learned counsel for the petitioners 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 petitioners and learned Additional Public Prosecutor for the State.

3. The petitioners are apprehending their arrest in connection with Kangali P.S Case No. 55 of 2023 dated 31.08.2023 for the offences punishable u/ss 30(a), 45 of the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act.

4. As per the prosecution case, total 6.66 litres of

Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.86631 of 2023(2) dt.30-01-2024 2/3 illicit liquor was recovered from the house of the coaccused Bikram Sah.

5. Learned counsel for the petitioners has submitted that the petitioners are innocent and have falsely been implicated in this case. The petitioners have no criminal antecedent as stated at para 3 of the bail petition. No incriminating article has been recovered from the conscious possession of the petitioners, 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.

6. Learned A.P.P. for the State has vehemently opposed the prayer for anticipatory bail of the petitioners by submitting that the bar of Section 76(2) of the Act applies in this case.

Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.86631 of 2023(2) dt.30-01-2024 3/3

7. Considering the aforesaid facts and circumstances of the case as well as the nature of allegation against the petitioners, let the above named petitioners, in the event of their 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, Bettiah, West Champaran in connection with Kangali P.S Case No. 55 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