First-time offender granted bail for 17.64 liters of illicit liquor following charge-sheet submission.

The applicant was arrested on February 24, 2026, by the Excise Circle Tilda-Nevra, District Raipur, following a secret tip-off.

The police seized 17.64 bulk liters of country-made liquor from the applicant’s possession.

Crime No. 238/2026 was registered under Section 34(2) of the C.G. Excise Act.

The applicant sought regular bail, contending that he had been falsely implicated, possessed no prior criminal record, and that the charge-sheet had already been filed while he remained in custody.

The State opposed the bail, citing the quantity of liquor seized.

1. Whether the applicant is entitled to the grant of regular bail under Section 483 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, considering the nature of the offence and the duration of his pretrial detention.

Section 34(2) of the Chhattisgarh Excise Act, which prescribes a minimum punishment of one year and a maximum of three years for the illegal possession of liquor.

Section 483 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, regarding the High Court's power to grant bail.

Sections 269 (punishment for non-attendance), 209 (failure to appear after proclamation), 84 (proclamation for person absconding), and 351 (recording of statement) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and BNSS to establish bail conditions.

The Court weighed the gravity of the allegations against the applicant’s personal circumstances and procedural status, noting that the quantity seized was 17.64 bulk liters and emphasizing that the applicant had no prior criminal antecedents.

Because the investigative process reached a milestone with the filing of the charge-sheet and the applicant had already been incarcerated since February 24, 2026, the Court reasoned that further detention was unnecessary, especially as the trial's conclusion was expected to take considerable time.

The Court determined that the interests of justice would be served by granting bail subject to stringent conditions to ensure the applicant's presence during trial proceedings.

The holding was contingent on several conditions: the applicant must not seek unnecessary adjournments, must appear personally on key trial dates (framing of charges, etc.), and must remain present on all dates fixed by the trial court; failure to comply permits the trial court to initiate proceedings under Sections 209 or 269 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.