Pune: Excise dept to hold pubs, bars & liquor shops accountable for crimes by inebriated minors
Pune: Excise dept to hold pubs, bars & liquor shops accountable for crimes by inebriated minors
The excise department in Pune has issued notices to all pubs, bars, and liquor shops in the city, holding them accountable for crimes committed by minors and those without a liquor permit under the Maharashtra Prohibition Act. This move, which follows the May 19 Porsche Taycan crash involving a teenager who had allegedly consumed alcohol in two pubs, has been criticized by the hospitality industry as controversial and high-handed.
The establishments have been directed to remain vigilant, take deliberate precautions, and warned that they could risk permanent suspension of licenses. A senior excise official defended the move, stating that it aims to prevent the misuse of alcohol and maintain law and order, emphasizing it as a preventive action.
When asked how establishments would control patrons’ behaviour after they have left the premises, the official said they must create awareness among patrons who consume alcohol on their premises. The clause of holding establishments as co-accused in crimes committed by minors or non-permit-holding patrons was added following similar action against pubs in the Porsche crash case.
The official clarified that only if a bar or liquor shop sells alcohol to a minor or non-permit-holding customer will it be held responsible for crimes committed by that person later. If an establishment sells liquor to a customer of legal drinking age with a permit, and that customer commits a crime, the establishment will not be considered a co-accused.
A representative of the United Hospitality Association expressed anger over the notice, calling it a selective target of the industry and questioning why action is not taken against alcohol manufacturers or distributors. The representative stated that establishments can only check IDs and it is impossible to check a patron’s background or criminal intentions.
A wine shop owner told a news agency that if a licensee is held responsible for a crime committed by a person who bought alcohol at his shop, then the government should also be liable because the excise department earns revenue from alcohol sales. The owner likened the situation to holding a car dealer responsible for a road accident caused by a driver they sold a vehicle to.
Senior advocate and member of the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa, Harshad Nimbalkar, explained that authorities are only allowed to act against establishments for selling liquor without a permit or to a minor, not for any further actions committed by a patron. He suggested that the notice is likely to be challenged in court. Advocate Milind Dattatraya Pawar, former president of the Pune Bar Association, added that the notice is unclear and amounts to harassment of owners, as there is no specific provision to hold a bar or liquor shop owner guilty of another person’s crime.
