BAIL GRANTED: Court considers quantity of illicit liquor, prior antecedent, and delayed trial.

The applicant, Sarju Singh Sidar, was arrested in connection with Crime No. 332/2025 following a raid on his house on September 17, 2025, during which 10 bulk liters of handmade kachchi mahua liquor and 7 bottles of country-made plain liquor (totaling 1 liter 260 ml) were recovered, amounting to 11 bulk liters and 260 ml of illicit liquor.

An offense under Section 34(2) of the C.G. Excise Act was registered against him.

The applicant fled the scene during the raid and was subsequently arrested on January 20, 2026.

A charge-sheet has since been filed before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Sakti.

The applicant has one previous criminal antecedent of a similar nature from 2024, which is still pending.

1. Whether the applicant is entitled to regular bail under Section 483 of the Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, given the gravity of the offense, the quantity of illicit liquor seized, and his prior criminal record.

The court primarily applied Section 34(2) of the C.G. Excise Act, which sets the minimum punishment at one year and the maximum at three years for offenses related to illicit liquor.

The application for bail was made under Section 483 of the Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023.

The court also considered the conditions for granting bail, including the nature and gravity of the allegations, the duration of custody, and the likelihood of the trial taking a long time.

The High Court analyzed the applicant's bail request by considering the facts of the case, specifically the recovery of 11 bulk liters and 260 ml of illicit liquor from his possession.

It noted that a charge-sheet had been filed and the applicant had been in judicial custody since January 20, 2026.

The court also acknowledged the applicant's one previous criminal antecedent of a similar nature from 2024, which was pending.

Despite the opposition from the State counsel, who emphasized the quantity of liquor seized and the applicant's prior record, the court found that the conclusion of the trial was likely to take a significant amount of time.

Therefore, taking into account the nature and gravity of the allegations, the fact that a charge-sheet had been filed, and the applicant's custody period, the court was inclined to grant regular bail.

The bail application was allowed.

The applicant was ordered to be released on personal bond with two sureties in the like sum to the satisfaction of the Court concerned, subject to several conditions including not seeking adjournments, remaining present in court, and not misusing the liberty of bail.