Madras High Court asks if liquor licences near colleges need stricter rules

The Madras High Court on Tuesday ordered the Commissioner of Prohibition and Excise to explain whether any licensing norms restrict bars inside hotels or clubs located near schools and colleges, following a criminal case against a 19‑year‑old student involved in a fight after drinking at a hotel bar.

What triggered the court’s suo motu action?

Justice N. Ramesh expressed shock after learning that a 19‑year‑old college student had been charged for a brawl that erupted while he and peers consumed liquor at a bar attached to a hotel reportedly run by the college management, The Hindu reported.

What details did the judge demand from the excise commissioner?

The judge impleaded the Commissioner of Prohibition and Excise in an anticipatory bail petition and asked for the licence information of the El Dorado bar at SRM Hotel in Potheri, near Chennai, as well as any rules, orders, circulars or guidelines governing Form F.L.3 licences, including any prescribed minimum distance from educational institutions, hostels or places of worship, The Hindu said. He also directed the commissioner to provide the exact pedestrian‑path distance between the bar and the nearest gate, building or hostel of the nearby institution, and to confirm whether the premises lie within a municipal area.

How did the court involve the college and what orders were issued?

Justice Ramesh also named SRM Institute of Science and Technology as a respondent, ordering its registrar to reveal any link between the college management and SRM Hotel and the steps taken to stop students from drinking, The Hindu noted. Noting that three students were injured by a beer‑bottle strike on September 26, 2026 and treated at SRM Hospital, the court directed that the student petitioner not be arrested unless further orders, provided he cooperates with the investigation and appears for inquiry.