Pankaj Kumar v. The State Of Bihar
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.6893 of 2024 Arising Out of PS. Case No.-546 Year-2016 Thana- SHERGHATI District- Gaya ====================================================== Pankaj Kumar S/O Chandrabhangi Singh Village- Konchi, Ps. Gurartu Dist. Gaya.
... ... Petitioner/s
Versus
The State of Bihar ... ... Opposite Party/s ====================================================== Appearance :
For the Petitioner/s :
Mr.Vinod Kumar, Advocate For the Opposite Party/s :
Mr.Md. Anzarul Haque Sahara, APP ====================================================== CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE CHANDRA PRAKASH SINGH ORAL ORDER 17-02-2024 Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and learned Additional Public Prosecutor for the State.
2. The Petitioner is apprehending his arrest in connection with Sherghatti P.S. Case No. 546 of 2016 dated 20.11.2016 for the offences punishable u/s 272 and 273 read with 34 of the IPC and Sections 30(a) and 32(b) of the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act.
3. As per the prosecution case, total 5 quintal of mahuwa and 1.8 litres of country-made liquor were recovered from a tempo.
4. Learned counsel for the petitioner has submitted that the petitioner is innocent and has falsely been implicated in this case. The petitioner has no criminal antecedent as stated at
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.6893 of 2024(2) dt.17-02-2024 2/3 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 petitioner is neither the owner nor the driver of the said vehicle. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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
Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.6893 of 2024(2) dt.17-02-2024 3/3 amount each to the satisfaction of the learned court concerned, Gaya in connection with Sherghatti P.S. Case No. 546 of 2016, subject to conditions as laid down under section 438(2) of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
7. This application stands allowed.
(Chandra Prakash Singh, J) atul/- U T