The Patna high court has granted anticipatory bail to a man accused of possessing liquor in Khagaria in Bihar, where prohibition was imposed in 2016, on the condition that he contribute ₹ 15,000 to beautify the local civil court campus with flower pots. A single-judge bench of Justice Rajiv Roy passed the September 2 order, which was uploaded on the high court’s website on September 8 (Tuesday).
The high court imposed strict compliance conditions, including fortnightly attendance at the local police station for six months and appearance on every hearing date. It warned that missing two consecutive appearances without a valid reason or attempting to influence witnesses or commit another crime will lead to the bail cancellation.
He cited the 2019 Ram Vinay Yadav versus State of Bihar case, in which a full bench of the high court said anticipatory bail can be given under the prohibition law despite statutory bars if the First Information Report shows no prima facie offence. Kumar offered to contribute ₹ 15,000 to the District Legal Services Authority to purchase flower pots for the Khagaria Civil Court campus. The prosecution opposed the bail plea, pointing out Kumar’s criminal antecedents.
Advocate Brajesh Verma, who represented Kumar, argued that the liquor was recovered from an open field rather than Kumar’s “conscious possession”.
