SHANTI DEVI Vs. STATE OF BIHAR

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The present Civil Writ Petition, under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, has been preferred praying for the following reliefs:-

(2.) The relevant facts, as emerging from the record, are that on 9/7/2021 at around 04:30 a.m., when the police patrolling team was checking vehicle at Mastan Chowk, a Red Colour MHawk 100 Mahindra TUV 300, bearing Registration No. BR-43P-6309 was coming from Kishanganj in which four people were sitting. The police team by signs directed them to stop but they did not stop and fled. Another vehicle white pick-up having no number plate was also coming behind the red vehicle and both the vehicles fled. The police gave a chase and managed to stop the red color vehicle when the people sitting in the vehicle tried to run, but they were apprehended with the help of police team at around 5:15 a.m. at Pucca road going towards Bahadurgan. However the white pick-up managed to escape. The apprehended four persons, when asked to tell their names, they disclosed their names as; (1) Mukesh Kumar, aged about 21 yrs S/O Makhan Prasad Yadav; (2) Niranjan Kumar, aged about 24 yrs, S/O Rabindra Gupta; (3) Sonu Kumar, aged about 22 yrs, S/O Satyanarayan Choudhary; (4) Pintu Kumar, aged about 27 yrs S/O Shatrudhan Prasad Yadav. Thereafter the car was searched. Twenty four bottles of 'MC Dowells No. 1Luxury Premium Whisky' 'FOR SALE IN ARUNACHAL PRADESH ONLY' each bottle containing 375 ml of IMFL were found under the seat. Thus in total nine litres of IMFL was found. Despite further search, no paper of vehicle was found. Mobile phones were recovered from them. On questioning the four persons about the liquor, they informed that the IMFL recovered from Red color Mahindra TUV 300 belonged to them and that they are into liquor trade for two years and they bring liquor from Dalkola&Pajipara Siliguri West-Bengal and kept in Madhepura for sale and as and when liquor was sold, the profit was shared among them. Today also from Dalkola, West Bengal, they hired a pick-up from a person they don't know and were importing 40 cartoons of liquor and kept 24 bottles in Red Colour Mahindra Tuv 300 for consuming it in transit. Consequently, Kochadhama P.S. Case no. 194 of 2021 came to be lodged on 9/7/2021 against the said four persons; owner of Red Colour Mahindra Tuv 300 and the unknown driver of White color pick up and others.

(3.) Subsequently, on police report, District Magistrate- cum-Collector, Kishanganj initiated confiscation proceeding bearing Confiscation Case No. 559 of 2021 and vide order dtd. 16/10/2021, passed in the confiscation case, the vehicle bearing Registration No. BR-43P-6309 was confiscated, holding that the seized vehicle was used in transportation and distribution of illicit liquor, which is violation of Bihar Prohibition and Excise Act, 2016. District Magistrate-cum-Collector, Kishanganj further directed to sell the vehicle in question in public auction and to deposit the sale proceed in the State treasury. The said confiscation order of the District Magistrate-cum-Collector, Kishanganj was challenged by the petitioner before Excise Commissioner, Patna in Excise Appeal Case No. 786 of 2021 and the Excise Commissioner, vide order dtd. 3/12/2021, dismissed the said appeal, upholding the confiscation order of the District Magistrate, holding that the petitioner has failed to produce sufficient evidence to show that the vehicle in question was not used in transportation of illicit liquor. The petitioner also challenged the said order of the Appellate Authority before Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Excise, Government of Bihar in Excise Revision No. 10 of 2022 and the Revisional Authority, vide order dtd. 11/2/2022 dismissed the said revision petition, upholding the order of confiscating authority with liberty to District Magistrate-cum-Collector, Kishanganj to proceed with auction in confiscation proceeding as per the Act. The order of the Revisional Authority was challenged by the petitioner before this Court in C.W.J.C. No. 6439 of 2022 and this Court vide order dtd. 10/5/2022, disposed of the said writ petition with following observation:-