Mumbai, May 29 : The Bombay High Court today asked Maharashtra Excise Commissioner to hear the representation of State Wine Merchants Association whether wine shops can sell liquor across the counter in Mumbai and nearby Thane.
The court was hearing a petition which alleged that home delivery of liquor has resulted in serious violation of law, unauthorised sale by private households and illegal
sale of spurious liquor.
Sale across the counter in liquor shops is allowed in Pune and Nasik which fall under Red Zone of COVID-19 along with Mumbai and Thane. Then, why not sales across the counter should be allowed in Mumbai and Thane?, counsel for the petitioner, Charanjeet Chanderpal argued.
Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice N R Borkar also issued notice to Maharashtra Government, returnable after a week, to show cause why it should not be directed to refund the proportionate amount of huge state excise fee of about Rs 13 lakhs which it accepted from every wine shop.
The petition was filed by Maharashtra Wine Merchants Association and others. The hearing was held through video conference.
The high court order comes as a partial reprieve to wine shop owners who argued that illegal activities have mushroomed in the garb of home delivery, strangers are visiting houses of people thereby endangering safety and that there is not enough machinery to supply goods on two wheelers with banned plastic bags, spurious and unlicensed liquor being sold.
The petition further argued that spurious liquor can result in death of people and hence sale of liquor across the counter in wine shops would be a better option.
