IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA Civil Writ Jurisdiction Case No.16968 of 2024 ====================================================== Srikant Nirala, S/o Kripanand Singh, Resident of Village- Goura, Rampur Chouram, P.S.- Arwal, District- Arwal. ... ... Petitioner. Versus 1. The State of Bihar through the Additional Chief Secretary, Registration and Excise Department, Government of Bihar, Patna. 2. The District Magistrate, Bhojpur. 3. The Superintendent of Police, Bhojpur, Arrah. 4. The Station House Officer, P.S.- Chandi, District- Bhojpur, Arrah. 5. The Station House Officer, District- Arwal. ... ... Respondents. ====================================================== Appearance : For the Petitioner : Mr. Sunil Kumar, Advocate. For the State : Mr. Standing Counsel (22). ====================================================== CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE P. B. BAJANTHRI and HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE SUNIL DUTTA MISHRA ORAL JUDGMENT (Per: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE P. B. BAJANTHRI) Date : 17-01-2025 In the instant writ petition, the petitioner has prayed for the following relief(s): “For issuance of proper writ/writs, order/orders, direction/directions to the respondents particularly Respondent no.4 to release the motorcycle of the petitioner bearing Registration No.BR21Q-0209, Engine no.-HAI0ACHHCB5679, Chassis no.-MBLHARI84HHC42945, Make- Passion Pro of Hero Company, which was seized by Chandi Police, Bhojpur in connection with Chandi P.S. Case no.156/2022, registered U/s 307, 504, 353 I.P.C.; 27 Arms Act; 30(a) of Bihar Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Act, 2018 with exemplary cost and compensation towards mental agony.” Patna High Court CWJC No.16968 of 2024 dt.17-01-2025 2/5 2. Subject matter of vehicle bearing Registration No.BR21Q-0209, Passion Pro of Hero Company, was alleged to have been involved in a criminal case for the offence under the Indian Penal Code read with the Arms Act and the provisions of Bihar Prohibition and Excise (Amendment) Act, 2018. Resultantly, it was seized by the police officials-respondents. In the confiscation proceedings, the District Magistrate, Bhojpur at Ara, passed an order on 13.02.2024 and it reads as under: “13.02.2024 vfHkys[k miLFkkfirA fcgkj e|fu’ks/k ,oa mRikn ¼la”kks/ku½ fu;ekoyh&2022 ds fu;e&12¼d½ ds vkyksd esa pk¡nh Fkkuk dkaM la[;k&156@2022] fnukad&18-06-2022 esa tIr okgu iS”ku izks0 eksVj lkbZfdy jft0 la[;k&BR21Q-0209, batu la[;k&HA10ACHHCB5679 ,oa psfpl la[;k& MBLHAR184HHC42945 dks chek dh jkf”k&34]830@& ¼pkSrhl gtkj vkB lkS rhl½ :i;s dh U;wure jkf”k tek djkdj eqDr djkus gsrq izi=&IV esa vkosnu nkf[ky fd;k x;k gSA vkosnd dk mDr okgu pksjh gks xbZ FkhA blds laca/k esa okgu Lokeh JhdkUr fujkyk] is0&d`ikuUn flag] xzke&xkSjk] iks0&jkeiqj pkSje] Fkkuk&jkeiqj pkSje] ftyk&vjoy }kjk vjoy Fkkuk dkaM la[;k&53@2022] fnukad&10-02-2022 /kkjk&379 Hkk0n0fo0 ds rgr izkFkfedh ntZ djk;k x;k gSA ekuuh; mPp U;k;ky;] iVuk ds CWJC No-11678/2022 esa ikfjr vkns”k esa vafdr gS fd iwoZ esa pksjh gq, okgu ftldk iz;ksx “kjkc ds ifjogu esa gqvk gks] ,sls okgu vf/kgj.k ds ;ksX; gSA vkosnd }kjk okgu dh chek dh jkf”k dk 10% vFkkZr 3]483@& ¼rhu gtkj pkj lkS frjklh½ :i;s dks OGRAS ds ek/;e ls foi= dksM&R0070.01.102.0007 esa tek djkdj bZ&pkyku dh eqy izfr nkf[ky fd;k x;k gSA nkf[ky bZ&pkyku dh GRN No- Patna High Court CWJC No.16968 of 2024 dt.17-01-2025 3/5 BHR20240200410206M gSA vkosnd }kjk BSBCL ds [kkrk la[;k&3041002100033416, (IFSC Code- PUNB0304100) esa “keu jkf”k dk 03% vFkkZr 105@& ¼,d lkS ikap½ :i;s tek djkdj lk{; izLrqr fd;k x;k gSA mi;qZDr of.kZr ifjis{; esa bl vf/kgj.k okn dh dkjZokbZ dks lekIr djrs gq, pkanh Fkkuk dkaM la[;k&156@2022] fnukad&18- 06-2022 esa tIr okgu iS”ku izks0 eksVj lkbZfdy jft0 la[;k&BR21Q-0209 ds okgu Lokeh eukst dqekj flag ds i{k esa eqDr fd;k tkrk gSA Fkkuk/;{k pk¡nh] Hkkstiqj dks vkns”k fn;k tkrk gS fd mfpr oS/kkfud igpku ij okgu dks okgu Lokeh ds i{k esa eqDr djsaxsA okgu eqfDr ds mijkUr ;fn mDr okgu fdlh xSj dkuwuh xfrfof/k vFkok शराब ds ifjogu ds vkjksi esa tIr fd;k tkrk gS] rks okgu dks vf/kgfjr dj fy;k tk;sxkA vkns”k dh izfr lHkh lacaf/kr dks vuqikyu gsrq HksatsA ys[kkfir ,oa la”kksf/krA g0@& g0@& lekgrkZ] lekgrkZ] Hkkstiqj] vkjkA Hkkstiqj] vkjkA 22-02-2024 vkns”k fnukad&13-02-2024 esa Vad.k Hkqy ds dkj.k pkSFkk ikjk ds pkSFkk iafDr esa ^^JhdkUr fujkyk^^ ds LFkku ij ^^eukst dqekj flag^^ Vafdr gks x;k gSA vc mDr vkns”k esa ^^eukst dqekj flag^^ ds LFkku ij ^^JhdkUr fujkyk^^ i<+k tk;sA bl vkns”k dks bl gn rd la”kksf/kr le>k tk;sA vkns”k dh izfr lHkh lacaf/kr dks vuqikyu gsrq HksatsA ys[kkfir ,oa la”kksf/krA g0@& g0@& lekgrkZ] lekgrkZ] Hkkstiqj] vkjkA Hkkstiqj] vkjkA ” 3. In the light of the aforementioned quasi judicial order of the District Magistrate/District Collector, Bhojpur, Ara, it was bounden duty of the concerned officials to release the Patna High Court CWJC No.16968 of 2024 dt.17-01-2025 4/5 subject matter of the vehicle and it has not been released due to practical difficulty to the effect that subject matter of seized vehicle is stated to have been stolen from the Malkhana. In this regard, necessary steps were stated to have been taken by the jurisdictional police and it is pending consideration. 4. Be that as it may, due to the pendency of the aforementioned proceedings relating to the theft of the vehicle from Malkhana, the petitioner shall not be penalized. Therefore, the District Magistrate, Bhojpur, Ara, is hereby directed to release valuation of the vehicle a sum of Rs.34830/-, which has been taken note of by him in its order dated 13.02.2024 and pay the same to the petitioner within a period of six weeks from the date of receipt of this order along with the interest at the rate of 6% per annum from 13.02.2024 till payment is made. The petitioner is requested to cooperate in claiming insurance insofar as loss of the vehicle during the police custody (Malkhana). If such necessary step is taken by both the petitioner and the concerned official respondents, the concerned Insurance Company is requested to expedite the matter and settle. In the event of granting any claim amount in favour of the petitioner, the petitioner is hereby directed to remit in the concerned Treasury Office at the earliest. Patna High Court CWJC No.16968 of 2024 dt.17-01-2025 5/5 5. With the above observations, the instant writ petition stands disposed of. P.S./- (P. B. Bajanthri, J) ( Sunil Dutta Mishra, J) AFR/NAFR NAFR CAV DATE NA Uploading Date 23.01.2025. Transmission Date NA