Chennai Floods: Madras High Court turns down plea to shut liquor shops

The petitioner, a city based lawyer and relief worker, said that one of the biggest menaces that they were facing was that of drunk anti social elements causing unnecessary disruptions and hindering relief work. She cited the example of a woman relief worker who was harassed by one such drunkard.

Written by: Sakshita Khosla

Published: December 14, 2015, 7:53 PM IST

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https://www.india.com/news/india/chennai-floods-madras-high-court-turns-down-plea-to-shut-liquor-shops-784116/ Copy

Chennai, December 14: The Madras High Court on Monday, refused to order shutting down of retail liquor shops for two months, against the backdrop of the devastating Chennai floods. The HC cited the reason that the issue fell under the purview of the government and hence the court would not hear it. Court was reacting to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by a city based lawyer Kanimozhi Mathi, who demanded that tasmac shops be shut, for at least two months, keeping in view Chennai rains.

When the PIL came up for admission on Monday, the court bench dismissed it, saying that the issue is a policy domain of the government and that the court will not entertain it. The petition said that city and the entire state for that matter, has been experiencing excessive rains since November this year, triggering massive floods. The petitioner, who works for an organisation involved in relief work, said that one of the biggest menaces that they were facing was that of drunk anti social elements causing unnecessary disruptions and hindering relief work. Also Read: Chennai Rains: India loses Rs 20,103 Crore in Tamil Nadu disaster

She also said that a significant number of people are still in need of food, water, clothing and shelter and the attitude and activities of the drunkards could cause the number of volunteers to dwindle and their enthusiasm to be dampened. Many volunteers were warned not to go to specific areas, as inebriated men created trouble. She cited the example of a woman relief worker who was harassed by one such drunkard. “Closing all Tasmac shops in all the flood-affected districts for 60 days will significantly bring down the menace of inebriation, lumpenism and anti-social behaviours,” she quoted as saying by the Times of India.