Kochi (Kerala): Clarifying that the police cannot ban DJ parties, the Kerala High Court has quashed notices issued by the police to hotels. The court stated that the police have no power to impose restrictions on DJ parties on the grounds that crimes are likely to occur. It pointed out that under the FL-3 licence, bars and hotels are permitted to operate until 3 am, and hotel owners have every right to run their establishments within these permitted hours.

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The High Court clarified that if crime is on the rise, legal action should be taken against the offences rather than shutting down the operations of establishments. Fully accepting the petition filed by hotel owners challenging the police notice, the High Court set aside the police action.

In court, the Kerala Police argued that drug use and drug trafficking were occurring on a large scale under the cover of DJ parties in Kochi, leading to major law-and-order issues and crimes. They sought to regulate such parties that run late into the early morning hours.

However, the court stated that parties operating in compliance with licence conditions cannot be stopped on such grounds.

The High Court further observed that if operating hours are to be modified, the government must frame a new law or rule, and the police will only be able to intervene once such a rule comes into force.