Excise officials raid restaurant in Lucknow serving liquor sans licence; 4 arrested
Four individuals were arrested on the spot and a case was registered against six, including the restaurant owners, for illegally serving liquor without obtaining a bar licence or per-day event licence from the department, officials said.
The excise department busted an illegal bar-like facility during a raid at a restaurant near Husadia crossing in the state capital late Friday night, officials said.
Four individuals were arrested on the spot and a case was registered against six, including the restaurant owners, for illegally serving liquor without obtaining a bar licence or per-day event licence from the department, officials said, adding foreign liquor and beer was being served illegally at the restaurant.
During the raid, the excise team recovered 56 cans and 12 bottles (330 ml) of beer, seven bottles of foreign liquor, peg measures, a bar menu, and liquor sale bills, officials said.
Excise officials said that a case had been filed against the restaurant owners, identified as Ashutosh Singh and Amit Singh, under the Excise Act and relevant BNS sections at the Gomti Nagar police station.
Four people serving liquor at the time of the raid -- Anand Srivastava, Sushil Rajput, Kanhaiyalal, and Ritesh Pandey -- have been arrested and sent to jail, officials said.
“The accused often mislead customers by pretending to have all necessary permissions. Sometimes, they obtain per-day event licences to avoid scrutiny,” said an official.
The excise team was led by inspectors Vivek Singh (Sector-05) and Rajneesh Pratap Singh (Sector-03). The raid was part of the ongoing campaign against illegal liquor sale in restaurants.
Confirming the action, district excise officer Karunendra Singh said the restaurant was serving liquor without any valid bar licence.
Officials said complaints about the restaurant had been received earlier too, but no evidence were found in previous raids.
Meanwhile, a licensed bar operator requesting anonymity claimed that several restaurants across the city serve foreign liquor illegally. “This is not an isolated case. There are dozens of eateries selling liquor without obtaining any licences, while authorities look the other way,” he claimed.
Excise officials said they were preparing a list of restaurants suspected to be serving liquor illegally, and more raids were likely in the coming days.
