ORDER This application is filed under Section 482 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita , 2023 (for short, BNSS ), seeking pre-arrest bail.

2. The applicant is the accused No.1 in Crime No.264/2025 of Excise Range Office, Ettumanoor, Kottayam District. The offences alleged are punishable under Sections 55 (g), 8(1) and 8(2) of the Kerala Abkari Act .

3. The prosecution case, in short, is that the applicant and the accused No. 2 manufactured arrack on the Western side of the shed situated in the North – Eastern part of the Northern courtyard of residential building No.IXI/511 belonged to applicant No. 1, at Ayamanam Village at 02.20 P.M, on 20-12-2025. The offence was detected by the Excise Enforcement and Anti- Narcotics Special Squad, Kottayam. The Excise party seized 35 litres of arrack, utensils kept for manufacturing arrack including a brass vessel having 70- litre capacity, a pot (Illichatty) and uruli round vessel having 15 litre capacity and cash worth Rs.180/-.

4. I have heard Smt. Renijames, the learned counsel for the applicant and Smt. Sreeja V. the learned Senior Public Prosecutor. Perused the case diary.

5. The learned counsel for the applicant submitted that the ap