Sometimes bind die and leaves pid file in place. Then "status" query is reported incorrectly as running even there is no running process at all:

$ /etc/init.d/named status
rndc: connect failed: 127.0.0.1#953: connection refused
named (pid  1319) is running...
[root@neptun ~]# echo $?
0
$ ps xaOT | grep 1319
31465 pts/0    S+     0:00 grep 1319
$ cat /var/named/chroot//var/run/named/named.pid
1319
$ bash -x /etc/init.d/named status
+ . /etc/rc.d/init.d/functions
++ TEXTDOMAIN=initscripts
++ umask 022
++ PATH=/sbin:/usr/sbin:/bin:/usr/bin
++ export PATH
++ '[' -z '' ']'
++ COLUMNS=80
++ '[' -z '' ']'
+++ /sbin/consoletype
++ CONSOLETYPE=pty
++ '[' -f /etc/sysconfig/i18n -a -z '' -a -z '' ']'
++ . /etc/profile.d/lang.sh
++ unset LANGSH_SOURCED
++ '[' -z '' ']'
++ '[' -f /etc/sysconfig/init ']'
++ . /etc/sysconfig/init
+++ BOOTUP=color
+++ RES_COL=60
+++ MOVE_TO_COL='echo -en \033[60G'
+++ SETCOLOR_SUCCESS='echo -en \033[0;32m'
+++ SETCOLOR_FAILURE='echo -en \033[0;31m'
+++ SETCOLOR_WARNING='echo -en \033[0;33m'
+++ SETCOLOR_NORMAL='echo -en \033[0;39m'
+++ PROMPT=yes
+++ AUTOSWAP=no
+++ ACTIVE_CONSOLES='/dev/tty[1-6]'
+++ SINGLE=/sbin/sushell
++ '[' pty = serial ']'
++ __sed_discard_ignored_files='/\(~\|\.bak\|\.orig\|\.rpmnew\|\.rpmorig\|\.rpmsave\)$/d'
+ '[' -r /etc/sysconfig/named ']'
+ . /etc/sysconfig/named
++ ROOTDIR=/var/named/chroot
+ RETVAL=0
+ export KRB5_KTNAME=/etc/named.keytab
+ KRB5_KTNAME=/etc/named.keytab
+ named=named
+ '[' -x /usr/sbin/named-sdb ']'
+ NAMED_SHUTDOWN_TIMEOUT=25
+ '[' -n /var/named/chroot ']'
++ echo /var/named/chroot
++ sed 's#//*#/#g;s#/$##'
+ ROOTDIR=/var/named/chroot
++ /usr/bin/readlink /var/named/chroot
+ rdl=
+ '[' -n '' ']'
+ PIDFILE=/var/run/named/named.pid
+ ROOTDIR_MOUNT='/etc/named /etc/pki/dnssec-keys /var/named /etc/named.conf
/etc/named.dnssec.keys /etc/named.rfc1912.zones /etc/rndc.conf /etc/rndc.key
/usr/lib64/bind /usr/lib/bind /etc/named.iscdlv.key /etc/named.root.key'
+ case "$1" in
+ rhstatus
+ '[' -x /usr/sbin/rndc ']'
+ /usr/sbin/rndc status
rndc: connect failed: 127.0.0.1#953: connection refused
+ status -p /var/named/chroot//var/run/named/named.pid -l named /usr/sbin/named
+ local base pid lock_file= pid_file=
+ '[' 5 = 0 ']'
+ '[' -p = -p ']'
+ pid_file=/var/named/chroot//var/run/named/named.pid
+ shift 2
+ '[' -l = -l ']'
+ lock_file=named
+ shift 2
+ base=named
+ __pids_var_run /usr/sbin/named /var/named/chroot//var/run/named/named.pid
+ local base=named
+ local pid_file=/var/named/chroot//var/run/named/named.pid
+ pid=
+ '[' -f /var/named/chroot//var/run/named/named.pid ']'
+ local line p
+ '[' '!' -r /var/named/chroot//var/run/named/named.pid ']'
+ :
+ read line
+ '[' -z 1319 ']'
+ for p in '$line'
+ '[' -z '' -a -d /proc/1319 ']'
+ pid=' 1319'
+ :
+ read line
+ '[' -z '' ']'
+ break
+ '[' -n ' 1319' ']'
+ return 0
+ RC=0
+ '[' -z /var/named/chroot//var/run/named/named.pid -a -z ' 1319' ']'
+ '[' -n ' 1319' ']'
+ echo 'named (pid  1319) is running...'
named (pid  1319) is running...
+ return 0
+ return 0
+ RETVAL=0
+ exit 0

I did not tested English locale (I have cs_CZ.UTF-8).
I have bind-9.8.2-0.17.rc1.el6_4.6.x86_64