The Bombay High Court came down heavily on the Pune administration on Friday over its alcohol ban during the 10-day Ganesh festival, sternly asking why the district was singled out while Mumbai and other regions faced no such restrictions.
A bench of Chief Justice M C Tripathi and Justice Advait Sethna asked the administration to withdraw the prohibition or face judicial intervention, noting that by ordering such an arbitrary crackdown in one district, the authorities were stigmatising Pune and its residents.
The court was hearing petitions filed by associations of hotel owners and wine shop owners challenging the Pune collector's order prohibiting sale of alcohol for 10 days during the Ganesh festival starting 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 court remarked.
It asked the advocate appearing for the Pune collector to inform the court later in the day if the order would be withdrawn or else the court would pass an appropriate order.
The bench further noted that while it understands that the authorities need to maintain law and order and avoid nuisance, a blanket order prohibiting licence holders from carrying out their trade for 10 days cannot be passed.
The court, in a lighter vein, also said that with such a prohibition, habitual drinkers would end up having medical issues.
"They will flood hospitals if they don't get to drink for 10 days," CJ Tripathi quipped.
The bench, while urging the authorities to revisit its order, noted that it cannot be said that every person who consumes alcohol would cause a nuisance on roads or a law and order issue.
