'If entire state ‘Dev Bhoomi’, why only one place holy?': HC okays licence renewal for 6 liquor vends in Rishikesh

DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand high court, while hearing three petitions against non-renewal of licences of six liquor vendors in Rishikesh on the ground that these are located near "holy places", said: "It's an irony that only a particular place is called a 'holy place' when the entire state is called Dev Bhoomi."
HC told excise commissioner, "Prima facie, there is negligence and abuse of power." It directed him to deposit Rs 5 lakh in each case in court within a week. "If the court concludes that the action...is wholly arbitrary, the amount would be paid to petitioners," HC said and directed the commissioner to "forthwith" process the applications for renewal of licences.
Counsel for the petitioners - Siddhant Bailwal, Tejendra Singh and Pawan Kumar - during an earlier hearing had contended that licences of bars, restaurants, resorts and other retail vendors were renewed, but only his clients' licences were not.
The division bench of Chief Justice G Narendar and Justice Alok Mahra while hearing the matter on April 5 noted: "The paradox in the approach is that if six shops are permitted to vend liquor, it would affect the sanctity of the holy town, but serving liquor in bars and restaurants would not affect the sanctity of the holy town. There cannot be anything more paradoxical and ironical than this."