Mumbai, known for its vibrant nightlife, will again face a "dry day" on June, which is the result day of the Lok Sabha Elections 2024.
The Association of Owners of Hotels, Restaurants, Permit Rooms, and Bars (AHAR) has taken a stand against the decision.
Previously, three days of dry day was declared in Mumbai due to elections. Owing to this, there were chaos and long queues at the liquor and wine shops across the city as soon as they were opened on Monday evening, May 20.
AHAR has filed a petition in the Bombay High Court (HC), arguing that the vote count will be complete by the afternoon. Despite this, the orders issued by the city and suburban collectors prohibit the sale of alcohol for the entire day.
The petitioners' attorneys, Veena Thadani and Vishal Thadani, sought an urgent hearing before a vacation bench comprising Justices Arif Doctor and Somasekhar Sundaresan.
At the end of April, they approached the collectors, requesting that they reconsider the decision. But the collectors stated that the decision was based on the instructions of the Election Commission of India (ECI).
ECI rules state that alcohol sales will be forbidden on the day of counting and 48 hours prior to voting day.
However, AHAR's petition highlights a different issue. It claims that its members pay hefty license fees to the state government. But illegal liquor manufacturers and bootleggers have been producing and selling illicit liquor in Mumbai.
According to AHAR, these illegal sellers do good business even if alcohol sales locations are closed. The bootleggers make a profit from the sale of illegal liquor.
AHAR has therefore requested the court to change the collectors' orders. They propose that liquor-selling facilities should be allowed to reopen for business after the announcement of the results.
The High Court has asked Thadani to bring up the matter in the hearing on Wednesday, May 22.
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