Mass drinking will impact law and order: Court questions liquor sale at Sunburn

The Bombay High Court on Friday expressed serious concerns regarding the Maharashtra government’s decision to permit liquor service at the Sunburn Music Festival, currently taking place at the Bombay Port Trust ground in Sewri, Mumbai. The bench, led by Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam A Ankhad, questioned how law and order would be maintained if intoxicated people outnumber the security personnel at the venue, asking the state to reconsider the order.

"You can not maintain law and order with 199 policemen and 1000 people who are intoxicated," the High Court said. Flagging the risks, it further noted that the organisers, along with the state government, need to take precautionary measures instead of remedial measures to prevent any unpleasant incidents from taking place at the programme venue.

Emphasising that the law does not encourage anyone to drink and roam around openly, it further added that a liquor license for 40,000 people in an open space can not be provided.

The decision came after advocates Karl Tamboly and Mustafa Kachwala, representing the festival organisers, informed the court that the event, which began on Friday afternoon, had all the required permissions.

"There are over 250 CCTV cameras, over 500 security personnel, Policemen in uniform and plain clothes present, 7 ambulances with 70 medics on the ground," Tamboly told the Court.

Despite these assurances, the bench reiterated concerns about overcrowding management, safety, and the permissibility of serving liquor in such settings. However, the court stood firm in its position, citing that nothing can ensure people's safety if alcohol is served in a large programme like this.

"How will you identify whether someone is drunk? What equipment is being used? In a gathering where thousands of people go, how can you ensure that there is no body-to-body touch?" the court noted.

The hearing at the Bombay High Court occurred as Chintamani Sarang, a resident of Mumbai, filed a Public Litigation Interest over the sale of liquor in the event of its proximity to large petroleum storage tanks at Wadala, which could pose a hazard.

Although the court raised serious concerns, it did not pass an immediate order to restrain the sale of alcohol at the festival. Instead, it asked the government to reconsider the decision.

- Ends