The Allahabad High Court has issued an order preventing the renewal of a liquor store’s license located near Seth M.R. Jaipuria School in Azad Nagar, Kanpur, post-March 2025. This decision came in response to a public interest litigation filed on behalf of five-year-old LKG student, Master Atharv, through his father, challenging the proximity of the liquor store to the school.
The court, led by Chief Justice Arun Bhansali and Justice Vikas Budhwar, emphasized that the presence of a liquor store near the school, established prior to the store’s opening, does not automatically warrant annual license renewals. The petition highlighted the disturbances caused by the presence of intoxicated individuals near the school premises, particularly in the early morning hours.
The state government had defended the renewal of the liquor store’s license, citing regulations that were in place before the school was established in 2019. However, the court found this practice questionable and decided that renewing the license beyond its current expiration date of March 31, 2025, is unnecessary.
