The New Indian Express ·
After HC rebuke, govt recalls Pune liquor ban for Ganesh Chaturthi
MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Friday came down on the Maharashtra government’s decision to ban liquor sale in Pune during 12 days of Ganesh Chaturthi festival, prompting the Pune Collector to withdraw the order.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna said that if alcohol is banned for so many days, hospitals will get “flooded” because habitual drinkers may face serious health issues.
The bench said that while it understands that the authorities need to maintain law and order and avoid nuisance, a blanket order prohibiting licence holders from carrying on their trade for 12 days cannot be passed. With such prohibition, habitual drinkers would end up with medical issues, the judges said jokingly.
