In a significant ruling, the Patna High Court has stated that if a person riding a motorcycle has concealed liquor in a separate bag and is not the owner or the one carrying the hidden alcohol, the vehicle cannot be seized under Bihar’s prohibition laws. This crucial decision came during the hearing of a case in Gopalganj.
The case involves the confiscation of a motorcycle registered in the name of a woman, where 13 liters of liquor were found in the bag of the person riding pillion. The High Court deemed the seizure of the motorcycle as incorrect and unlawful. The court directed the District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police in Gopalganj to compensate the owner of the confiscated motorcycle, Sunaina, with one lakh rupees within the next 10 days. Justices P.B. Bajanthri and Jitendra Kumar delivered this significant verdict, approving the writ petition filed by the owner of the motorcycle, Sunaina.