Prabhu Nath Singh @ Prabhnath Singh Vs the State of Bihar — Anticipatory Bail | Patna HC (2024)

Prabhu Nath Singh @ Prabhnath Singh Vs the State of Bihar — Anticipatory Bail | Patna HC (2024)

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Anticipatory bail granted: petitioner to be released on furnishing bail bonds of Rs.500/- with two sureties of the like amount each upon arrest or surrender before the learned Court below within six weeks, subject to conditions under Section 438(2) Cr.P.C., in connection with Hajipur Sadar P.S. Case No. 939 of 2023.

Issue for consideration

Whether the petitioner, who apprehends arrest in Hajipur Sadar P.S. Case No. 939 of 2023 registered for the offence punishable under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act, 2018, is entitled to anticipatory bail. +1 more

Court's answer

Considering the submissions made by learned counsel for the petitioner, the petitioner is to be released on anticipatory bail in the event of his arrest or surrender before the learned Court below within six weeks, on furnishing bail bonds of Rs.500/- with two sureties of the like amount each, subject to the conditions laid down under Section 438(2) of the Cr.P.C., in connection with Hajipur Sadar P.S. Case No. 939 of 2023.

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Anticipatory bail — Patna High Court, Criminal Miscellaneous No. 20529 of 2024 (decided 27-03-2024), Coram: Satyavrat Verma, J. Petitioner apprehended arrest in Hajipur Sadar P.S. Case No. 939 of 2023 (District Vaishali) registered for an offence under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act, 2018, the allegation being recovery of 46.350 litres of liquor from his house. Counsel contended that the petitioner was not arrested from the spot, nothing was recovered from his conscious possession, the house is joint family property, and after the 2018 amendment to the Excise Act the concepts of deemed possession and presumed offender stand done away with. Considering these submissions, the Court directed release on anticipatory bail upon arrest or surrender within six weeks on bail bonds of Rs.500/- with two sureties of like amount each, subject to the conditions under Section 438(2) of the Cr.P.C.

IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.20529 of 2024

Arising Out of PS. Case No.-939 Year-2023 Thana- HAJIPUR SADAR District- Vaishali

======================================================

PRABHU NATH SINGH @ PRABHNATH SINGH SON OF LATE KAPILDEO SINGH RESIDENT OF VILLAGE - DIGGHI KALA, PURVI WARD NO. 25, PACHKURWA, P.S. - HAJIPUR SADAR, DISTRICT - VAISHALI

... ... Petitioner/s

Versus

THE STATE OF BIHAR

... ... Opposite Party/s

====================================================== Appearance :

For the Petitioner/s : Mr. Dewendra Narayan Singh, Advocate For the Opposite Party/s : Ms. Sharda Kumari, A.P.P. ======================================================

CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE SATYAVRAT VERMA ORAL ORDER

2 27-03-2024

Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and learned

A.P.P. for the State.

The petitioner apprehends his arrest in a case registered for the offence punishable under Section 30(a) of the Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act, 2018.

Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that petitioner is a person with clean antecedent.

Allegation is of recovery of 46.350 litres of liquor from the house of the petitioner.

Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that petitioner was not arrested from the spot, as such, nothing was recovered from his conscious possession and after amendment in the Excise Act in the year 2018, the concept of deemed possession and presumed offender has been done away with. It is further submitted that house is a joint family property and it cannot be alleged with

Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.20529 of 2024(2) dt.27-03-2024 2/2

certainty that it was the petitioner who had kept the liquor in the house or the liquor kept in the house was within his knowledge. It is next submitted that in majority of the cases, the police are implicating the innocent persons at the instance of the Chawkidar like in the present one. It is also submitted that if the Chawkidar was aware that petitioner was involved in the occurrence then whey he did not inform the police prior to the institution of the instant FIR which casts an aspersion on the case of the prosecution.

Learned A.P.P. for the State opposes the prayer for anticipatory bail of the petitioner.

Considering the submissions made by the learned counsel for the petitioner, the petitioner above-named, in the event of his arrest or surrender before the learned Court below within a period of six weeks from today, be released on anticipatory bail on furnishing bail bonds of Rs.500/- (Rupees Five Hundred) with two sureties of the like amount each to the satisfaction of the learned court below where the case is pending/successor court in connection with Hajipur Sadar P.S. Case No. 939 of 2023, subject to the conditions as laid down under Section 438 (2) of the Cr.P.C.

(Satyavrat Verma, J)

Kundan/-

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