High Court trashes appeals against amended liquor licence rules

The high court on Friday dismissed a batch of appeals challenging the amendment to the Karnataka Excise (Sale of Indian and Foreign Liquor) (Amendment) Rules, 2014 which had relaxed the conditions of issuing CL-7D excise licence to persons belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

A division bench comprising Justice Jayant Patel and Justice Aravind Kumar dismissed a batch of appeals challenging the amendment.

However, the bench in its order said, “The decision will have prospective effect...if the licences were already granted under the amended rule (CL-7D) and if the licence holder has already started his business...such licence would remain unaffected.

“Such licence holders can continue their business till licence expires,” the order said.
Petitioners in the writ petition challenged the amended rules where issuing licence to a particular section of the society with relaxed conditions is depriving others of the benefits and creating hostile discrimination and unhealthy competition.

The rule was struck down by the single bench and the affected parties had approached the court with an appeal which was also struck down by upholding the single bench order.

Hearing adjourned

An interlocutory application (IA) seeking stay on holding Kambala (buffalo race) in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts was adjourned by the Karnataka High Court. 

A division bench comprising Justice Jayant Patel and Justice P S Dinesh Kumar adjourned the hearing on Friday saying that the matter must be heard by the regular bench. 

The IA was filed to vacate the stay on holding Kambala race. Advocate General Madhusudan R Naik informed the court that a committee has been constituted to look into Kambala races in the state. The bench adjourned the matter to January 30.