The Bombay High Court has intervened in the controversy surrounding Pune's Ganesh Festival alcohol ban, directing the district administration to substantially reduce the prohibition period. The court issued an FIR against the Pune Collector and questioned the rationale behind targeting only Pune district for such an extended禁制.
Earlier this month, Pune's district administration announced a ten-day ban on the sale of alcohol during the Ganeshotsav festival, which drew immediate and fierce opposition from hotel owners and liquor vendors across the city. Business associations argued that the order was disproportionately punitive and lacked legal grounding, given that similar festivals are celebrated across multiple districts without comparable restrictions.
The High Court's interim response came with visible frustration. The court directed the collector to explain why the district was being singled out and called for the ban to be narrowed considerably. In the aftermath, Pune officials complied by rolling back the prohibition to just two days, limiting it to the critical festival dates rather than maintaining the extended restriction across the entire ten-day period.
Ganesh Chaturthi falls on 14 September, marking the beginning of the ten-day festive celebrations, while Anant Chaturdashi — the day when large visarjan processions carry idols into water bodies — is scheduled for 25 September. These two days are considered the most significant in the festival calendar and were identified as the period during which the shortened ban would apply.
Hotel and liquor shop owners' associations had initially approached the administration seeking a full withdrawal of the ban, calling it economically damaging and discriminatory. Their legal challenge paved the way for the High Court's prompt intervention. Legal analysts suggest the court's decision reflects concern over arbitrary administrative action that affects livelihoods without sufficient justification or uniform application across regions.
