Breather for Darj revellers: HC lifts ban on Glenary’s bar till Jan 12

Darjeeling/Kolkata: The Jalpaiguri circuit bench of Calcutta High Court on Wednesday temporarily lifted the ban on the sale of liquor at the iconic Glenary's in Darjeeling, starting from 5 pm on Wednesday until Jan 12. The court observed, "There is no reason why the fun and merry-making festival spirit should be dampened by the non-serving of liquor on the restaurant premises."
The excise department was directed to de-seal the storage by 5 pm on Wednesday. "As it appears that the restaurant will be in operation, the suspension of the bar licence will imply that liquor cannot be sold on the restaurant premises. It seems that it is only the visitors and tourists who will miss the liquor that may be served in the restaurant. There is no reason why the fun and merry-making festival spirit should be dampened by the non-serving of liquor on the restaurant premises. The sale of liquor will also amount to the generation of revenue for the state," Justice Amrita Sinha observed.However, in this interim period, the bar has been allowed to operate with the condition that every ounce of liquor sold will be properly accounted for and the account will be made available to the authority as and when called for. Furthermore, the restaurant will have to comply with all the conditions applicable when the bar licence was valid.Ajoy Locas Edwards, owner of Glenary's bar and restaurant, approached the single-judge bench of Justice Sinha, seeking a temporary arrangement before Christmas Eve. Both the serving of liquor and the live band were suspended by the authorities. Edwards's counsel requested permission for the liquor sale while no plea was made for the resumption of the live band."The Christmas session is on, and the unit will suffer financially if the order of suspension is not suspended for the time being. As it is Christmas Eve, the Hills, especially Darjeeling, are filled with tourists and visitors. The unit claims to have been in operation for nearly 150 years," the HC said. Justice Sinha, to balance the equities between the bar and authorities, directed that the state will not be inconvenienced in any manner if the order of suspension of the bar licence is temporarily kept in abeyance. It was stated that Glenary's will "certainly" face loss if they are not permitted to do business.After the HC order, the second officer in charge of the excise department, Sanjay Roy, who visited the premises to de-seal the bar's storage facility, said Glenary's bar has been allowed to operate until Jan 12 in compliance with an interim court order. "We have de-sealed the bar on Wednesday, according to the interim order of the court. According to excise norms, licensed bars are required to maintain all mandatory documents and ensure proper accountability of alcohol sales," Roy said.Edwards said the bar was closed for nearly three months, prompting him to approach the court. He alleged that the closure was politically motivated and linked it to the inauguration of the ‘Gorkhaland Bridge', a community-funded project."We are fully operational from Wednesday. The bar was closed following an excise order, but I thank the court for granting a stay on an order that was unjustified. This was a case of political vendetta and selective targeting. I obtained the necessary permission, but it did not reach the excise department, though I possess the order. Glenary's has stood the test of time, and we welcome tourists from Kolkata and beyond," Edwards said.

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