Patna HC orders Rs 21 lakh deposit after auction

The Patna High Court has ordered a state official to deposit Rs 21 lakh after a seized truck was auctioned for only Rs 2 lakh without proper valuation or notice to the owner. The court's decision came on March 19, 2025, following a petition from Sharath Navnath Ganje, whose truck was seized on December 26, 2022. Ganje's truck was confiscated in Vaishali district for allegedly violating Bihar's liquor prohibition law. It was later auctioned off under this law. The court found that Ganje was not notified about the auction and no public notice was published regarding the sale in Maharashtra. The judges criticized the way the truck's value was assessed. A local surveyor conducted the valuation without a thorough examination, leading to a low auction price. The court discovered that the truck had an insured value of Rs 21 lakh at the time of seizure. The judges expressed disappointment over the failure of officials to fulfill their legal duties and ordered the principal secretary of the excise department to identify individuals responsible for the undervaluation and to take legal action against them. The court emphasized the responsibility of public servants to act fairly and uphold public trust. The case is scheduled to be reviewed again on May 7.