Temporary reprieve for 700 Kerala bar owners from SC
12 Sept 2014 5:44 AM IST
A bench of justices AR Dave and UU Lalit directed the state government to maintain status quo and asked the Kerala High Court to decide the petitions against liquor policy expeditiously, if possible before 30 September.
The bench during the brief hearing agreed that drinking is a social problem but questioned why the state is not stopping it at one go rather than limiting bar licences to only 5-star hotels as part of a move to implement total prohibition in the State in 10 years.
The bar owners, who were present in the jampacked courtroom, came out smiling and congratulating each other, saying ‘cheers’ after getting a breather from the apex court.
The apex court had on Wednesday agreed to grant an urgent hearing on a plea of aggrieved bar owners.
Under the new policy, the UDF government had last month decided to shut around 700 bars attached to hotels below five-star categories.
The bench during the brief hearing agreed that drinking is a social problem but questioned why the state is not stopping it at one go rather than limiting bar licences to only 5-star hotels as part of a move to implement total prohibition in the State in 10 years.
The bar owners, who were present in the jampacked courtroom, came out smiling and congratulating each other, saying ‘cheers’ after getting a breather from the apex court.
The apex court had on Wednesday agreed to grant an urgent hearing on a plea of aggrieved bar owners.
Under the new policy, the UDF government had last month decided to shut around 700 bars attached to hotels below five-star categories.
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