High Court slams Pune's 10-day liquor ban during Ganesh festival, orders withdrawal

The Bombay High Court pulled up the Pune administration over its 10-day Ganesh festival liquor ban. The bench said singling out one district was arbitrary and warned of judicial intervention.

In Short

• Court questions why only Pune is singled out, not other districts
• Calls ban arbitrary, stigmatising Pune and its residents
• Court demands withdrawal of order or faces judicial intervention

The Bombay High Court on Friday strongly criticised the Pune administration over its decision to ban the sale of alcohol for 10 days during the Ganesh festival, asking why only one district had been singled out when Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra faced no such restriction.

The court said the administration should withdraw the order or face judicial intervention.

Hearing petitions by associations of hotel owners and wine shop owners, a bench of Chief Justice MC Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna said a blanket prohibition preventing licence holders from carrying on their trade for 10 days was arbitrary.

The court said the move stigmatised Pune and its residents, while also noting that authorities still had to maintain law and order and prevent nuisance.

The petitions challenged an order by the Pune collector prohibiting the sale of alcohol for 10 days during the Ganesh festival beginning on September 14.

"What is the rationale behind choosing only Pune? We deprecate such practice. This is a stigma on Pune residents. What are you trying to portray that only people in Pune behave badly after drinking? One district you are choosing across the state," the bench remarked.

The court asked the advocate appearing for the Pune collector to inform it later in the day whether the order would be withdrawn, failing which it would pass an appropriate order.

The bench said that while it understood the need to maintain law and order and avoid nuisance, it could not be assumed that every person who consumed alcohol would create trouble on roads or lead to a law and order issue.

In a lighter vein, the court also said habitual drinkers could face medical issues under such a prohibition. "They will flood hospitals if they don't get to drink for 10 days," Chief Justice Tripathi quipped.

The hearing centred on whether a district-wide ban during the festival was justified when similar restrictions were not imposed elsewhere in the state.

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