'Highway liquor ban doesn't apply to us,' claim Kerala Beer parlour owners, approach SC

The petitioners claimed that they were granted FL-11 licences which allow them to sell beer and wine for consumption to the public in a separate room.

A group of beer parlour owners from Kerala approached the Supreme Court on Wednesday seeking clarification of its highway ban. A petition by the group of Kerala-based businessmen claimed that the Supreme Court's March order banning the sale of liquor within 500 metres of national and state highways did not apply to them.

The petitioners claimed that they were granted FL-11 licences which allow them to sell beer and wine for consumption to the public in a separate room. In March this year, the Supreme Court had asked liquor outlets including bars, pubs and restaurants operating within 500 metres of national and state highways to shut down.

"The ruling does not apply to the service of beer and wine parlours which serve products with alcohol levels below six and twelve percent respectively," the petition submitted before the vacation bench claimed.

The petitioners also told the bench that they were issued licences in different categories by state excise department on March 31 for the period of one year which allowed owners to sell beer and wine for consumption to the public in a separate room.

"After the court's ruling, we are being threatened by officials not to operate our parlours. We would suffer financial losses if we are not allowed to sell the remaining liquor stocks worth lakhs of rupees," the petitioners told the court. The vacation bench headed by Justices R K Agrawal and Deepak Gupta said the plea would be heard in July.

OneIndia News