IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA CRIMINAL MISCELLANEOUS No.15450 of 2026 Arising Out of PS. Case No.-217 Year-2025 Thana- KAMTAUL District- Darbhanga ====================================================== Munni Kumari @ Shrimati Munni Kumari W/o Mithilesh Kumar @ Mithilesh Paswan R/o Village- Ratanpur Ward No.2, P.S- Kamtaul, Dist- Darbhanga. ... ... Petitioner/s Versus The State of Bihar ... ... Opposite Party/s ====================================================== Appearance : For the Petitioner/s : Mr. Kumar Gaurav For the Opposite Party/s : Mr. Parmeshwar Mehta ====================================================== CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE AJIT KUMAR ORAL ORDER 2 12-03-2026 Heard learned counsel for the parties. 2. The petitioner apprehends her arrest in connection with Amhara P.S. Case No.217 of 2025, dated 05.10.2025, registered for the offence punishable under Section 7 of the Essential Commodities Act. 3. As per the FIR, during an inspection of the petitioner’s PDS shop on 08.07.2024, the food grains shown in the POS machines were not physically found in the godown, indicating a shortage of wheat and rice. The shop was later inspected again on 09.09.2025 through the PDS Parakh App, where no food grains were found, though stock was shown in the POS machine attached after the death of dealer Vishwanath Jha. It was alleged that the petitioner had black-marketed subsidized food grains. 4. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the petitioner is innocent and has been falsely implicated in this Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.15450 of 2026(2) dt.12-03-2026 2/3 case. It is further submitted that, due to a technical issue, the wrong quantity was reflected on the ePOS machine, based on which allegations of black marketing were made against the petitioner. The petitioner had approached the authorities to make the necessary corrections, but such corrections could not be made during the COVID period. He further submits that similar issues had arisen in various districts, and FIRs based on similar allegations were filed, in which the respective parties had approached this Court. The coordinate Bench of this Court, considering the technical glitch as the reason for reflecting the wrong figures of wheat and rice quantity, granted bail to them vide Cr. Misc. No.88866 of 2025 dated 12.01.2026 and vide Cr. Misc. No.60288 of 2025 dated 08.09.2025. Lastly, it is submitted that the petitioner has no criminal antecedents. 5. On the other hand, the learned APP for the State has opposed the prayer for bail of the petitioner. 6. Considering that there had been technical issue in uploading the status of ePOS machine, let the above named petitioner, be released on bail, in the event of her arrest or surrender before the learned Court below within a period of six weeks from today, on furnishing bail bond of Rs. 10,000/- (Rupees Ten Thousand) with two sureties of the like amount each to the satisfaction of Patna High Court CR. MISC. No.15450 of 2026(2) dt.12-03-2026 3/3 the learned District & Additional Sessions Judge-1, Darbhanga/Successor Court in connection with Kamtaul P.S. Case No.217 of 2025, subject to the conditions as laid down under Section 482(2) of the BNSS as well as the following conditions: (i) One of the bailors should be the family member/relative/known of the petitioner(s) who shall provide official document/ personal affidavit to show his/her bona fide; (ii) the petitioner(s) shall appear on each and every date before the Trial Court and failure to do so for two consecutive dates without plausible reason will entail cancellation of his/her/their bail bond by the Trial Court itself; (iii) the petitioner(s) shall in no way try to induce or promise or threat the witnesses or tamper with the evidences, failing which the State shall be at liberty to take steps for cancellation of the bail bonds; (iv) the petitioner(s) shall desist from committing any criminal offence again, failing which the State shall be at liberty to take steps for cancellation of their bail bonds. shikha/- (Ajit Kumar, J) U T