Not obtaining licence to serve liquor at a family function has cost a member of a family in Ira village, Bantwal taluk, his freedom as he landed up in jail after the Excise Department arrested him on Saturday night.
The Excise Department officials raided the house of Daniel D’Silva in the village at about 11.30 p.m. on Saturday when the Roce Ceremony in connection with Sunday’s marriage of his daughter was going on.
Excise Deputy Commissioner Shylaja A. Khote told The Hindu that the raid was carried out following a complaint that liquor had been stocked there illegally.
Mr. D’Silva had not taken licence (CL-5) for serving liquor to guests. Hence, the officials seized 250.5 litres of beer and 21.35 litres of Indian Made foreign Liquor (IML) stocked in the house.
They arrested Stevan D’Silva, Mr. D’Silva’s brother, and produced him before a magistrate who remanded him in judicial custody.
Ms. Khote said that an individual can purchase 2.3 litres of IML and 19.8 litres of beer. A licence was required to purchase liquor beyond this limit.
An occasional licence is necessary for serving liquor to a large gathering in a private place.
Daniel D’Silva told The Hindu that his family was not aware of the rules under the Act.
“When I purchased the liquor from a private outlet, the shop keeper issued it under 36 different bills. He (shop owner) did not tell us that it is illegal to purchase such a large quantity of liquor,” he said. Mr. D’Silva said that he was hurt over the way the Excise officials carried out the search on his premises when the function was in progress.
