No 'dry day' near Tamil Nadu border ahead of April 23 Assembly elections: Kerala HC

Kochi: The Kerala High Court has intervened to stay a state government directive that mandated a "dry day" within a five-kilometer radius of the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border.

The restriction was originally intended to coincide with the upcoming Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu scheduled for April 23.

A vacation bench, presided over by Justice S Manu, on Tuesday halted the order after concluding that the state lacked the legal authority to issue such a sweeping mandate.

Legal counsel involved in the case noted that the court highlighted a conflict with the Representation of the People Act.

According to the lawyer, the court observed, "Under the Representation of the People Act, the prohibition on the sale of liquor can only be enforced within polling areas."

The court pointed out that the state government’s order extended the ban to locations that were not actually within or immediately adjacent to election zones.

The legal challenge was initiated by several hotels based in Palakkad. These establishments contested the government’s attempt to prohibit alcohol sales from April 21 until the midnight of April 23. While the court's decision is effective immediately, the comprehensive written order has not yet been published on the High Court’s official website.

PTI