HC strikes down Bihar prohibition law
In a big blow to the Nitish Kumar-led government in Bihar, the Patna High Court on Friday imposed a stay on Bihar\'s anti-liquor law.
​Patna: In a big blow to the Nitish Kumar-led government in Bihar, the Patna High Court on Friday imposed a stay on Bihar's anti-liquor law.
Delivering its verdict on the liquor ban, the High Court annulled the state government's notification issued on April 5 this year, declaring Bihar a completely dry state. The court said the way liquor ban had been implemented was not acceptable.
The court was hearing a public Interest Litigation (PIL) challenging the Bihar government's decision to impose a total ban on the sale and consumption of alcohol in the state.
The PIL was filed by an ex-serviceman A N Singh, a day after the Nitish Kumar ministry declared Bihar a totally dry state. The petition stated that the decision violated the human rights of a citizen about what to eat and drink.
Meanwhile, the state government has stated that it is awaiting the copy of the court's order, and will challenge it in due course after studying it.
The Nitish Kumar-led government prohibited liquor in Bihar on April 5 this year, making it the fourth dry state in the country after Gujarat, Kerala and Nagaland.
The High Court's decision comes just days before Bihar CM was all set to notify the new and stricter prohibition law in the state.
The Bihar Prohibition and Excise Bill, 2016 had strict provisions such as possible arrest of all members of a family if a liquor bottle was found in the house.
