Consider home delivery or indirect sale of liquor during lockdown, observes Supreme Court

The Supreme Court on Friday orally observed that the States must consider selling liquor via home delivery and/or inculcate indirect sales during the Coronavirus induced lockdown.

A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan, Sanjay Kishan Kaul & BR Gavai made this remark while hearing a petition challenging the opening of liquor shops by various state government, legal news website LiveLaw.in reported.

The bench observed that passing orders on the plea under Article 32 was not feasible and added that states must effectuate social distancing while selling liquor by considering the other viable options.

"We will not pass any order. States should consider indirect sale or Home Delivery of liquor to maintain social distancing", said the bench.

Advocate Sai Deepak appeared for petitioner(s) in a plea filed by Advocate-on-Record Anindita Mitra and submitted that the opening of liquor shops must not meddle with life of "the common man".

"MHA must make clarifications in this regard, life of the common man must not get affected," submitted Advocate Sai Deepak.

The petitioner further pointed out that the issue was that there were "less shops of liquor than there were buyers which was creating a nuisance"

The petition under Article 32 of the Constitution of India had been filed in "public interest", seeking issuance of a writ, order or direction in order to declare the New Covid-19 Guidelines issued by Respondent Union of India, to the extent they permit the sale of alcoholic liquors for human consumption at liquor vends/shops through direct contact sales during the lockdown period, "as unconstitutional, null and void".

Additionally, the petitioner sought directions for prohibition of sale of alcoholic liquors for human consumption at liquor vends/shops through direct contact sales, during the lockdown period to prevent and control the spread of Covid-19 in India, until National Disaster Management Authority or Centre declares India to be Covid-19 free.

Reportedly, in some parts of Delhi, people queued up as 150 liquor shops reopened. The scenario was similar in other states such as Karnataka and Maharashtra as well. Liquor shops shut down all over India after the nationwide lockdown was announced on March 24 and were reopened on May 4.