SC stays Rajasthan HC order for removal of liquor vends within 500 metres of national/state highways
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the Rajasthan High Court's order directing the state to remove or relocate all liquor shops within a 500-metre limit from national or state highways due to a surge in fatal road accidents.
A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, which issued notice on multiple pleas filed by liquor vendors and Rajasthan government, however, said that the high court's "concern was genuine" and the government may consider it while formulating its liquor policy in future.
"Issue notice. The effect and operation of the impugned order is stayed," the top court ordered.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state government, said that the apex court had earlier directed that there should not be any liquor vends within 500 metres of national and state highways, but a problem arose where these roads passed through the city.
"The order was later clarified that within municipal limits, there would not be any such ban on liquor shops," he said.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for liquor vends owners, said that the high court erred in passing the order without hearing the parties, and sought a stay on the directions.
He submitted that the high court was dealing with an issue pertaining to one village Sujangarh but went on to pass an order qua the entire state without even hearing other parties.
Justice Mehta said that the high court exercises jurisdiction throughout the state.
Rohatgi contended that the high court's view was contrary to the Supreme Court's direction that there was no such ban within municipal limits. "But the (HC) judge still says there will be a ban, irrespective of the apex court's direction," he said.
On November 24, 2025, the Jodhpur bench of the high court, taking note of the increasing number of accidents on the highways on account of alcohol consumption, directed the state to remove or relocate all liquor shops falling within the restricted limit of 500 metres from a national or state highway, within two months, irrespective of them falling under any municipal areas, local self-governing bodies or statutory development authorities.
It had also come down heavily upon the state for misusing the limited discretionary leverage granted by the apex court in granting permissions to liquor shops along the national and state highways.
The high court passed the order on a PIL filed in 2023 that highlighted a steep rise in the cases of drunken driving in Rajasthan.
It referred to the 2016 verdict of the apex court in the case of State of Tamil Nadu versus K Balu in which it was directed that no liquor shops shall be situated within 500 metres of the outer edge of a national or state highway.
However, in 2017, the apex court clarified that the order did not prohibit licensed liquor vends within the municipal areas and discretion was given to the state to determine whether the same principle should be extended to areas covered by local self-governing bodies and statutory development authorities.
The Rajasthan government has filed an affidavit in the high court stating that the state had permitted the operation of 1,102 liquor shops alongside national and state highways as they fall within municipal areas or local bodies and contribute Rs 2221.78 crore in revenue.
Taking note of the affidavit, the high court had said that the constitutional objective of safeguarding public life and safety cannot be subordinated to revenue considerations, and a careful balance must be struck wherein fiscal interests do not override the paramount requirement of protecting human life and ensuring road safety.
"This court expresses extreme concern regarding the manner in which the directions of the apex court have been diluted and the discretion granted to the state government has been misutilised.
"The admitted operation of 1102 liquor shops on national and state highways effectively nullifies the safety objective underlying the apex court's orders, as well as the road-safety considerations repeatedly emphasised by this court. Such deviation cannot be countenanced, particularly when the state is already witnessing alarming road-accident statistics," it had said.
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Man booked for duping firm of Rs 6 cr by posing as Infosys CSR official
Bengaluru (PTI): An FIR has been registered against a man and his accomplices for allegedly cheating a firm of Rs 6 crore by falsely claiming to be associated with an IT company and promising to facilitate CSR funds for its projects, police said on Friday.
The crime is said to have taken place between September 1, 2025 and March 20, 2026, and after consultation with legal experts the company decided to file a complaint at the Devanahalli police station here, they said.
The FIR was registered on March 30 following a complaint by Mysore Mercantile Company, alleging that a person named Gagan N Deep approached them, posing as the Regional Head (CSR) at Infosys Ltd, they said.
According to the FIR, Deep claimed he reported to senior officials - Harsh J, Senior Regional Manager - Infrastructure, Facilities Operation, Public Relations and CSR Works, and Niladri Prasad Mishra, Senior Vice President and Head - Global Infrastructure and Climate Action.
The FIR alleged that the accused expressed interest in the activities of their associated trust, Heggunje Rajeeva Shetty Charitable Trust, Bangalore, and assured facilitation of CSR funds from Infosys Ltd.
It further stated that the accused sent a team of four to five individuals representing Infosys, including persons identified as Chethan and Tejas, to Udupi, Mangaluru and other places to verify the trust’s activities.
According to the complaint, the accused subsequently induced the complainant to pay an Earnest Money Deposit (EMD) to alleged regular vendors of Infosys as a condition for approval of CSR grants.
The complainant stated that a total amount of Rs 6 crore was paid, including Rs 1.75 crore through demand drafts in favour of Anitha Ventures and Rs 3.75 crore through demand drafts in favour of ANS Engineerings, apart from an additional cash payment of Rs 30 lakh allegedly handed over to the accused through his driver near Nandi Upachar Hotel in Devanahalli, as per his instructions.
The FIR further alleged that the accused issued a purported sanction letter dated October 21, 2025, allegedly from Infosys bearing the signature of Mishra, and executed a grant agreement dated January 8, 2026 between Infosys and the charitable trust for the construction of more than 855 houses across Karnataka with a total grant of Rs 179 crore.
Another grant agreement dated January 13, 2026 was also executed for construction of primary health care centres across the state with a total grant of Rs 178 crore, it stated.
However, the complainant later suspected that the representations made by the accused were false, the documents were fabricated, and the entire transaction was fraudulent in nature, as the accused dishonestly induced them to part with substantial amounts under the pretext of EMD for CSR grants.
"Despite repeated follow-ups neither has any grant materialised nor have the amounts been returned, and the accused is now unresponsive and deliberately avoiding communication," the FIR added.
A case has been registered under various provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including Section 316(2) (criminal breach of trust), Section 319(2) (cheating by personation), Section 336(3) (forgery for the purpose of cheating), police said, adding that further investigation into the matter is underway.
Efforts are being made to nab the suspects in the case, they added.
