Excise dept seals two pubs that served liquor to teen, friends
The state excise department on Tuesday sealed restaurants-cum-pubs Cosie and Blak that served alcohol to the teen accused following order issued by district collector
Pune: The state excise department on Tuesday sealed Cosie and Blak, the two restaurants-cum-pubs at Mundhwa and Koregaon Park respectively, that served alcohol to the minor accused after the district collector issued an order for immediate action due to alleged violation of laws.
The action comes after the arrest of Pralhad Bhutada, license holder for Cosie, its manager Sachin Katkar, and Sandip Sangale, the owner of Blak, by the city police taking the total number of arrests to four. The police have also arrested the father of the minor accused.
District collector Suhas Diwase in his order stated that the premises of the two establishments be sealed with immediate effect for serving alcohol to minors.
“Both restaurants with permit rooms as well as pub establishments will be sealed by the state excise department with immediate effect from today,” the order by Diwase stated.
After a 17-year-old in speeding Porsche killed two young techies in fatal crash, the state excise department had launched a special inspection drive covering all pubs and other permit rooms in Pune city. On the night of the accident, the teen and his friends first went to party at Cosie in Mundhwa where they ordered vodka, whisky and beer along with food. By midnight, the group then went to Blak Club at Marriott Suites in Koregaon Park Annex where they had another round of liquor.
Law in Maharashtra prohibits serving and consumption of alcohol such as served mild beer till the age of 21 and for hard liquor, it is 25.
As per the law, no liquor shall be sold to minors in licenced hotels, pubs. Similarly, no foreign liquor shall be sold after 1.30 am, the deadline set by the police. Instructions have also been given that no liquor should be served after 9.30 pm through employed female waiters, the order added.
Santosh B Jagdale, superintendent, state excise department, Pune, said, “We have sealed two premises following the order of the district collector. We have also studied the CCTV camera footages showing the accused drinking in both the pubs despite being a minor where his age verification was not carried out.”
Besides the premises being sealed, the excise department has also cancelled their licences as they were serving alcohol to minors. Establishments violating various provisions and regulations under the Bombay Prohibition Act, 1949 and the Bombay Foreign Liquor Rules, 1953 will be prosecuted.
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