1 week ago
Jammu High Court Allows Disputed Gandhi Nagar Liquor Vend
A person won an auction to run a liquor shop in Gandhi Nagar, Jammu.
Some local residents objected to the shop.
They said people who drank nearby caused problems and made women feel unsafe in the evening.
Officials asked the auction winner to move the shop to another place.
The winner challenged that decision in court.
The judge noted that the shop had operated there during the previous two financial years.
The judge also noted that other businesses and liquor outlets were nearby.
The High Court said the objections appeared selective and allowed the winner to continue under the applicable policy.
The Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court cancelled an order stopping a liquor vend in Gandhi Nagar, Jammu.
Residents said intoxicated people, nuisance and alleged rising criminal activity made it difficult for women to move freely in the evenings.
Justice Sanjay Parihar said residents’ objections appeared selective because other liquor outlets operated nearby.
The Excise Department acknowledged that a fresh No-Objection Certificate was not required for the premises, which had hosted the vend previously.
The court directed authorities to let the successful e-auction bidder proceed under the Excise Policy for 2026-27.
- Who
- The successful e-auction bidder, local residents, the Excise Department and the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court, with Justice Sanjay Parihar issuing the order.
- What
- The High Court cancelled the direction stopping a liquor vend from operating at its existing premises and allowed the bidder to proceed under the excise policy.
- Where
- A premises in Gandhi Nagar, within a Jammu Municipal Corporation ward in Jammu.
- When
- The order was issued on August 20; the vend had also operated from the premises during 2024-25 and 2025-26, with the dispute concerning 2026-27.
- Why
- The court found that residents’ objections were selective and that the department’s decision was inconsistent, particularly because the premises had previously hosted the vend and other commercial establishments operated nearby.
Residents and objections
Bidder and court ruling
Local impact and safety
Residents and objections
Residents alleged that the liquor vend caused nuisance, brought intoxicated people into the area and contributed to undesirable or criminal activity, making it difficult for women to move freely in the evening.
Bidder and court ruling
The court did not accept the objections as a sufficient basis for selectively stopping this vend, noting that other liquor outlets and commercial establishments operated nearby.
Whether the location was appropriate
Residents and objections
Residents argued that the vend was located in a residential area.
Bidder and court ruling
The court said the Excise Department’s status report did not establish that the area was exclusively residential and recorded the presence of businesses including KFC and Nathu Sweet Shop, later stated to be Ganpati Food Junction.
Licensing and relocation
Residents and objections
The Excise Department asked the successful bidder to shift the vend after residents objected and began proceedings to cancel the bid when he declined.
Bidder and court ruling
The bidder argued that the premises had been used during the previous two financial years and did not require a fresh NOC; the court held he was entitled to fair and non-discriminatory treatment and cancelled the relocation order.
Key facts
- Court
- Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court
- Judge
- Justice Sanjay Parihar
- Location
- Gandhi Nagar, Jammu
- Residents’ concerns
- Nuisance, intoxicated persons, alleged criminal activity and women’s safety in the evenings
- Previous operation
- The vend operated from the same premises during 2024-25 and 2025-26
- No-Objection Certificate
- The Excise Department acknowledged that a fresh NOC was not required for premises used during the preceding financial year
- Court direction
- Authorities must allow the successful bidder to avail the bid’s benefits under the Excise Policy, 2026-2027
Quotes
Justice Sanjay Parihar
Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh High Court judge who issued the order
“The conduct of the residents in selectively questioning the liquor vend in issue, while not raising comparable objections against similarly situated establishments, cannot be appreciated.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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