New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld Kerala's new liquor policy restricting sale and consumption of liquor at bars in five star hotels only.
An apex court bench comprising Justice Vikramjit Sen and Justice Shiva Kirti Singh in their judgement pronounced on Tuesday dismissed the petitions challenging the Kerala liquor policy while upholding the Kerala High Court's earlier judgement sustaining the liquor policy.
The liquor policy, upheld by the apex court, allows service of liquor at bars in five star hotels only.
Under the policy, the sale and consumption of liquor at the bars in other hotels is prohibited. The judgment means that many of the restaurants and bars in the state cannot sell liquor. Many of them have converted to beer and wine parlours after the state government announced the new policy.
The verdict was reserved on August 27 after long heated arguments spread over many days in which the government of Kerala, defended its policy, saying that “those ousted from the business had no fundamental right to continue selling liquor at their bars”.
The liquor policy that restricted the sale and consumption of liquor at the bar benefited 24 five-star hotels in the state which then was upheld by the Kerala High Court on March 31st.
The judgment also provides a roadmap for other states like Bihar that banned sale of liquor citing concern for health of the public.
International tourists was among the major reasons cited by the Kerala government to defend the exemption given to five-star hotels to serve liquor. The government cited it as a “balance between promotion and prohibition” as people from all over the world come to Kerala.
The apex court on September 11, 2014, had asked the Kerala High Court to decide on the petitions directing bar owners below the five star category to shut shop. The High Court, in its March 31 order, upheld the policy terming drinking at bars a luxury.
(With Agency inputs)
