Supreme Court slaps Rs 1 lakh fine on lawyer who sought closure of liquor outlets

Why do many people approach the Supreme Court demanding the closure of liquor outlets?

It may be a tough question for you to answer, but not for India's Supreme Court.

It is being done just to gain publicity, noted the apex court on Friday while hearing a petition from lawyer Prashant Kumar that sought the closure of liquor stores in the wake of country's fight against COVID-19.

A Bench comprising Justices L Nageswara Rao, S K Kaul and B R Gavai rejected the plea because it was frivolous.

That was not all. The bench slapped the lawyer a hefty fine of Rs one lakh.

"We cannot have multiple petitions like this. These are all publicity oriented, We will impose costs," legal website Live Law quoted Justice Rao, as saying.

In his plea, Prashant Kumar argued that liquor stores should be closed to ensure social distancing rules.

To his statement that India has many asymptomatic COVID patients, Justice Rao asked: "What does that have to do with the sale of liquor?"

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