Restaurants, bars move HC over ‘harassment’ for serving liquor beyond 1 a.m.

The National Restaurant Association of India has moved the Delhi High Court complaining that the Delhi police were “harassing and obstructing” restaurants and clubs in the Capital from serving liquor beyond 1 a.m. The association, whose members run restaurants and bars across Delhi, said the Delhi police was “prohibiting and preventing” restaurants and bars from operating beyond 1 a.m., in contravention of the Delhi Excise Policy 2021-22. According to the petition, “after some persons affiliated with political establishments approached” the Delhi police, its officers started visiting restaurants, pubs and bars with “oral directives of shutting down the operations by 1 a.m. instead of 3 a.m.” The plea added that the “illegal action” by the Delhi police officers is being done with “dishonest intentions” because the police “refused to issue any challan or give anything in writing.” “The police officials forcibly get the restaurants and bars closed and even threaten the petitioners and their staff if they try to reason out with them,” the plea said. ‘Unambiguous’ clauses The association pointed out that the new excise policy “unambiguously” lays down that the bars in hotels, restaurants and clubs are allowed to operate till 3 a.m. “This policy also permitted all the hotels, restaurants and clubs to serve liquor till 3 a.m. to create a conducive environment, improve the conditions for smooth operations, sync with the present-day business and social perspectives and to align the timings of operation of bars at par with the neighbouring cities,” the NRAI said in its petition.