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CMO orders probe after MNC exec held for liquor served at hotel party
Mumbai: What was meant to be a relaxing evening turned into a nightmare for Somen Shah, head, marketing excellence, of M/s Abbott Health Care. Shah, who was hosting the annual office party for his colleagues, was booked for a non-bailable offence and arrested by the state excise department for not obtaining a temporary licence to serve liquor for the party held on January 10 at Hotel Renaissance, Powai.
The MNC executive’s arrest has caused consternation in Mantralaya and the chief minister’s office has ordered an inquiry into the incident.
State Feels Arrest ‘Sends Out Bad Signal’
Shah and Pandit were booked under Sections 65 (d), 81 and 83 of the Maharashtra Liquor Prohibition Act, 1949. The law allows arrest of the person who committed the crime by not obtaining the licence to serve liquor and also the person who abetted the crime.
Mantralaya sources, who said the CMO had taken a serious view of the incident, said, “At a time when Maharashtra is hosting the Magnetic Maharashtra event and laying out the red carpet for foreign investors, the arrest of an executive of a multinational company for serving liquor without possessing licence sends out a very bad signal.”
According to a press release issued by the state excise department, the raid was conducted as part of a special drive launched by excise commissioner Ashwini Joshi to prevent revenue loss to the government.
TIMES VIEW: This paper has consistently called for the amendment or repeal of outdated colonial laws which were essentially aimed at the repression and subjugation of a subject people. In this case, the action taken is wholly disproportionate to the nature of the ‘offence,’ if it may be called that, of hosting a party where alcohol was served. Imposition of a fine would have been reasonable but sending the party’s host to jail by invoking a ‘non-bailable’ section smacks of high-handedness and misuse of an unjust legislation that engenders corruption.
The Maharashtra Government should repeal the Maharashtra Liquor Prohibition Act, 1949 which is not relevant now. more