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Court to give verdict on Kerala Bars shutdown case today

by IBNS 30 Oct 2014, 01:34 am

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 30 (IBNS): The Kerala High Court will pronounce its verdict on Thursday over the issue of state government's decision to shut down over 700 bars and a clutch of petitions challenging the move.

Earlier in August this year, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had announced a 10-year plan bring prohibition of serving liquor to Kerala shutting down over 700 bars across the state.

He said that only five-star hotel would be allowed to keep serving booze and even they would have to go dry on Sundays.

The bar owners had challenged the order in court. They claimed the decision was taken in ‘haste’ and would be counter-productive as it would lose substantial revenue to the state’s exchequer, besides affecting tourism.

The Bar owners’ association had also approached the Supreme Court on the issue. The top court had stayed the government's decision till September 30 and said that the exemption to five-stars appeared illogical.