Liquor vends on highways: High court summons Ambala DC, SP

Officials allegedly failed to provide protection to NHAI team who were manhandled by liquor vend owners.

The Punjab and Haryana high court on Thursday summoned deputy commissioner (DC) and superintendent of police (SP), Ambala, for failure to provide protection to National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) teams, allegedly manhandled by liquor vend owners.

The NHAI told the court on Thursday that when its teams went to demolish the structures, the members were manhandled and even police supported them. (For representation)

The NHAI teams had gone to demolish the vends on Panipat-Jalandhar highway following the high court order of Monday in which the authority was asked to take action against vends running without its permission.

However, NHAI told the court on Thursday that when its teams went to demolish the structures, the members were manhandled and even police supported them.

Following this the high court summoned the DC and the SP on May 7.

It was on Monday (April 30) that NHAI had told thecourt that it had started issuing notices to liquor vends operating on the Panipat-Jalandhar highway without its permission. However, the high court had directed it to take swift action. As per NHAI, there are 90 liquor vends found in violation of the March 27, 2018, high court orders. The matter had reached the court on a PIL alleging violation of the HC orders of March 27.

On March 27, the high court had ordered that no liquor vend outside the limits of the towns, cities and villages but falling in the municipal areas on the highways should be allowed to operate without taking nod from the NHAI.