HC rejects plea for selling liquor only to licence holders

Nagpur: Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court on Tuesday, rejected petition by a lawyer for directives to the government for providing liquor only to those possessing valid permit/licence.
Quoting the Bombay Prohibition Act, 1949 and Bombay Foreign Liquor Rules, 1953, petitioner Anand Daga, through his father Dilip, demanded to declare designated licensed vendor of liquor as ‘officer authorized by the state government to issue permanent/annual/daily permit or licence’ for purchase and possession of liquor as per the rules.
“We find it as purely a matter of policy and don’t want to interfere in it,” a division bench comprising justices Ravi Deshpande and Amit Borkar said, before dismissing the plea.
According to the petitioner, if liquor sale is regulated, it would effectively raise the state revenue and reduce the negative impact of Covid-19 pandemic on the economy. “The government should compulsorily issue licence to the vendor as per the rules which clearly mention that liquor products should be sold only to those having permits,” he contended.
Praying for directives to the vendors to mandatorily check liquor licences of buyers before selling their products, Daga said even permits issued on permanent, annual and daily basis, should be checked before the delivery.