Three held for serving liquor without licence at Noida restaurant, over 200 bottles seized
A surprise inspection was conducted at Sarpanch Bagh restaurant in Sector 143, and two waiters and one manager was arrested for serving liquor without a licence
The Noida district excise department arrested three people for serving liquor without a valid bar licence at a restaurant in Noida’s Sector 143 on Sunday evening, officials said on Monday, adding that the owner of the restaurant has also been booked and is currently on the run.
According to Subodh Kumar, district excise officer (DEO), acting on a tip-off, a joint operation led by the excise department and Noida Police was conducted and they seized over 200 bottles of liquor of different brands meant for sale in Uttar Pradesh.
“A surprise inspection was conducted at Sarpanch Bagh restaurant in Sector 143, and two waiters and one manager was arrested for serving liquor without a licence. Officials have seized 194 bottles of beer and seven bottles of foreign liquor from the restaurant,” said the DEO.
According to excise rules in Uttar Pradesh, a restaurant can procure a permanent bar licence to serve liquor at a cost of ₹15 lakh per annum, which needs to be renewed every financial year. Apart from that, a restaurant can procure an occasional bar licence, which is valid for one day, at a cost of ₹11,000.
The suspects have been identified as manager Rajiv Kumar, a resident of Amethi, and waiters Dev Singh Rana, a resident of Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, and Sanjay Singh, a resident of Rabupura, Greater Noida.
“The owner of the restaurant has been identified as Sudhir Kasana wand he was not at the restaurant at the time of inspection. However, his name has been added to the FIR registered under relevant sections of the Excise Act for allegedly serving alcohol without a valid bar licence. The restaurant has been sealed until further orders,” said Kumar.