Kerala government had contended that the liquor was available on the retail outlets and people can buy and drink at their homes (File photo of Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy
The Supreme Court is likely to pronounce its verdict today on petitions challenging the Kerala government policy restricting the sale and consumption of liquor at the bars in five star hotels only and ejecting other hotels serving liquor at bars from the business.
The judgment listed to be pronounced by the bench of Justice Vikramajit Sen and Justice Shiva Kirti Singh was reserved on August 27 after long arguments spread over many days wherein the Kerala government, defending its policy, had said that those ousted from the business had no fundamental right to continue selling liquor at the bar.
The batch of petitions by the Kerala Bar Hotel Association and others had contended that the new policy that permitted only the five star hotels to sell and serve liquor bars in their hotels was discriminatory to other hotels.
The liquor policy restricting the sale and consumption of liquor at the bar benefitted 24 five-star hotels in the state and it was upheld by the Kerala High Court on March 31.
Defending the ban on the service of liquor at the bar below the five star hotels, Kerala government had contended that the liquor was available on the retail outlets and people can buy and drink at their homes.
The top court on September 11, 2014, had asked Kerala High Court to decide the challenge to the notification directing the bar owners below the five star hotels to shut their business. The high court by its March 31 order had upheld the policy, terming drinking at bar a luxury.