2026:JHHC:19904 1 IN THE HIGH COURT OF JHARKHAND, RANCHI ---- A.B.A. No. 3650 of 2026 ---- Sanjay Kumar aged about 41 years, son of Devnarayan Saw, resident of Village Salaiya, PO Salaiya, PS. Kothi, District Gaya, Bihar .... Petitioner -- Versus -- The State of Jharkhand .... Opposite Party ---- CORAM: HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE SANJAY KUMAR DWIVEDI --- For the Petitioner :- Mr. A.K. Chaturvedi, Advocate For the State :- Mr. Ajay Kumar Pathak, Advocate ---- 2/07.07.2026 Heard learned counsels for petitioner and for State. 2. The petitioner is apprehending his arrest in connection with Pratappur P.S. Case No.32 of 2026, for offence registered under section 274, 275, 3(5) of BNS, 2023 and section 47(a) of Excise Act, pending in court of learned Sub Divisional Judicial Magistrate, Chatra. 3. Learned counsel for petitioner submits that the petitioner happened to be owner of the vehicle on which foreign liquor was found to be loaded. He next submits that the petitioner was not on the spot and even the petitioner is not named in the FIR. He next submits that even the driver has not taken the name of the petitioner and only as because the petitioner is the owner of the vehicle in question, the name of the petitioner has surfaced during investigation. He next submits that the petitioner is having no criminal antecedent as disclosed in paragraph no.15 of the petition. 2026:JHHC:19904 2 4. Learned State counsel opposes prayer and submits that the petitioner happened to be owner of the vehicle in question on which the said foreign liquor was carried and in view of that anticipatory bail may kindly be rejected. 5. Considering that the petitioner is not named in the FIR and it has been pointed out that the said vehicle was taken by the driver and another person and even the driver has not taken the name of the petitioner and the petitioner has got no criminal antecedent as aforesaid and the name of the petitioner has surfaced in course of investigation, I am inclined to grant anticipatory bail to petitioner. 6. Accordingly, petitioner, above named, is hereby directed to surrender before learned court within three weeks from today, and in event of his surrender/arrest, petitioner, above named, shall be released on bail, on furnishing bail bond of Rs.25,000/- (Rupees Twenty Five Thousand), with two sureties of like amount each, to satisfaction of learned Sub Divisional Judicial Magistrate, Chatra, in connection with Pratappur P.S. Case No.32 of 2026, subject to the conditions as laid down under section 482(2) of Bhartiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023. ( Sanjay Kumar Dwivedi, J.) 07.07.2026 SI/