5 months ago
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The Supreme Court connected Monday (January 19, 2026) stayed the cognition of a Rajasthan High Court bid directing the State Government to region 1,102 liquor outlets located wrong 500 metres of highways wrong a play of 2 months, adjacent arsenic it acknowledged the increasing toll of roadworthy fatalities resulting from drunken driving.
A Bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta observed that portion the concerns expressed by the High Court were “absolutely genuine”, the sweeping directions merited person judicial scrutiny.
“The interest shown present is perfectly genuine...the information is that galore deaths person so taken place. Some determination oregon argumentation volition person to beryllium enactment successful spot to prevention lives,” the Bench remarked.
The apical tribunal was proceeding a petition filed by Ram Swaroop Yadav, who contended that the High Court had issued its directions without affording affected stakeholders an accidental to beryllium heard. He further submitted that the bid had failed to instrumentality into relationship binding judicial precedents permitting the cognition of liquor vends wrong municipal limits and definite section bodies.
Senior advocator Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for Mr. Yadav, argued that the High Court’s November 24, 2025, bid would person superior adverse consequences if allowed to operate. He submitted that portion the High Court was seized of a substance arising from a azygous colony successful Sujangarh, it went connected to contented directions with Statewide effect without proceeding different affected parties.
“The justice has passed an bid for the full State without proceeding anybody. The State is supporting me,” helium told the Bench.
‘Practical difficulties’
Appearing for the Rajasthan government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta flagged the applicable difficulties successful enforcing the High Court’s directions, highlighting that a important fig of cities and towns successful the State prevarication on nationalist and State highways. He submitted that a broad enforcement of the 500-metre regularisation would, successful effect, region liquor vends from immense municipality areas. He besides pointed retired that successful cities specified arsenic Chandigarh, which are located straight on highways, each liquor vends would person to beryllium removed.
Accordingly, the Bench issued announcement connected the entreaty and stayed the cognition of the High Court’s directions until further orders. It, however, clarified that it was not discounting the superior nationalist information concerns relating to road accidents and deaths associated with intoxicant consumption.
Justice Mehta besides flagged the prevalence of surrogate advertizing by liquor outlets on highways, observing that billboards often transportation indirect references to the merchantability of alcohol. “They enactment up advertisements saying that liquor is disposable 500 metres away,” helium said.
Echoing this concern, the Solicitor General noted that since nonstop hoardings advertizing liquor vends are prohibited successful immoderate States, advertisers person turned to indirect signage. “Now, the lone hoarding is an arrow. Those who know, cognize what the arrow means,” helium said.
High Court ruling
In its order, the High Court had travel down heavy connected the State authorities for turning highways into “liquor-friendly corridors”. A Division Bench comprising Justices Pushpendra Singh Bhati and Sanjeet Purohit had ordered the removal of each liquor shops falling wrong the restricted bounds of 500 metres from a nationalist oregon State highway, wrong 2 months, irrespective of them falling wrong the jurisdiction of immoderate municipal areas oregon section self-governing bodies.
“This tribunal is of the steadfast presumption that immoderate liquor store situated wrong the restricted bounds of 500 metres from a National oregon State Highway shall not stay operational. The respondents are directed to region oregon relocate each liquor shops falling wrong the prohibited zone, irrespective of whether they autumn nether municipal areas, section self-governing bodies oregon statutory improvement authorities. It shall beryllium unfastened for the respondents to displacement oregon relocate the said 1,102 liquor shops to conforming locations beyond 500 metres wrong a play of 2 months”, the High Court had said.
The directions were issued portion proceeding a 2023 nationalist involvement litigation petition (PIL) filed by Churu residents Kanhaiya Lal Soni and Manoj Nai, alleging violations of the Excise Act and its rules by liquor vends operating on highways.
The High Court had besides relied connected the apical court’s 2016 ruling successful State of Tamil Nadu v. K. Balu, which had held that nary liquor outlet could beryllium located wrong 500 metres of the outer borderline of a nationalist oregon State highway.
However, the apical tribunal had clarified the pursuing twelvemonth that the regularisation did not widen to licensed liquor vends operating wrong municipal limits, and near it to State governments to find whether the embargo should use to areas governed by section self-governing bodies and statutory improvement authorities.
