The Supreme Court of India sought responses from the Centre on a plea to ban liquor in tetra packs and sachets after Advocate Vipin Nair flagged missing warnings. CJI Surya Kant said, “This is very deceptive. Notice issued,”
The Supreme Court called for responses from the Centre and other authorities on a petition seeking an immediate nationwide ban on the sale of liquor in tetra packs and sachets.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi agreed to hear the plea filed by Community Against Drunken Driving.
Advocate Vipin Nair, appearing for the petitioner, argued that the definition of bottle under the excise framework is vague and requires standardisation.
The Court responded to submissions by Advocate Vipin Nair, who argued that the products in question carried no warning labels.
CJI Surya Kant remarked,
“This is very deceptive. Notice issued,”
Adding that the State has a responsibility to safeguard public health, he told the court,
“They are confusing fruit juice with liquor. They use photo of apple and the pack contains Vodka,”
The petition requests directions for the Centre to formulate a uniform policy for all States and Union Territories to ban the sale of alcohol in tetra packs and sachets.
It also seeks instructions for States to revise their excise laws, rules, and policies by adopting standardised definitions of bottling, restricting it to glass containers or other clearly identifiable receptacles.
The matter comes weeks after the Supreme Court declined to entertain a similar public interest litigation challenging Uttar Pradesh’s policy that allows country liquor to be sold in tetra packs. At that time, the court directed the petitioner to first approach State authorities.
Earlier, a bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant disposed of a PIL filed by Meenakshi Shree Tiwari, permitting her to submit a representation before the competent authorities in Uttar Pradesh.
In that case, advocate Ashok Pande argued that liquor sold in tetra packs was being easily reaching educational institutions in the state and spoiling the atmosphere there.
He further submitted that such availability and consumption may be one of the key reasons for the rise in crimes.
The Uttar Pradesh government defended its revised excise policy, stating that country liquor previously sold in glass bottles would now be mandatorily sold in tetra packs to improve safety standards and reduce the risk of adulteration.
The revised policy also introduced an e-lottery system for allotting liquor and bhang shops.