The Rajasthan High Court has directed the state government to ensure that all liquor shops operating within 500 metres of national and state highways are removed from their present locations within two months, citing a surge in fatal road accidents.
A division bench of Justice P. S. Bhati and Justice Sanjeet Purohit in Jodhpur held that the prohibition applies irrespective of which local body exercises jurisdiction over the area. The judges also mandated that highways must remain free of any visual indicators of alcohol availability, including signboards, banners or advertisements that could be seen by commuters.
The order came on petitions filed by Kanhaiya Lal Soni and Manoj Nai, who argued that liquor vends located along accident-prone highway stretches require strict regulatory intervention. They submitted that the easy availability of alcohol near highways has been a matter of judicial concern and needs immediate corrective action.
The bench recorded that the state has already identified 1,102 liquor outlets falling within the 500-metre prohibited radius. It directed that these be shifted to legally permissible locations without delay. The excise commissioner has been asked to file a detailed compliance report before the next hearing on January 26, 2026.
While emphasising the urgency of the issue, the court pointed to two recent highway tragedies — one near Harmada in Jaipur and another at Phalodi — which together claimed 28 lives. The judges observed that the lethal combination of alcohol misuse and negligent driving continues to threaten public safety and violates the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution.
The bench further remarked that weak enforcement and regulatory gaps have aggravated the situation, necessitating stronger executive action to prevent avoidable loss of life.
