Govt directed to grant licenses to 22 more bars

Kerala High Court today directed the government to grant licenses to 22 more bars attached to four-star hotels in the state.
The order was issued by Justice Surendra Mohan while considering petitions by the bar owners seeking renewal of their licenses in the backdrop of the decision of the court to grant licenses to bars in four star and heritage hotels.
The court directed the government to take a decision within two months considering the eligibility of the petitioners.
Government has filed an appeal against the court's decision to permit bars in four star and heritage hotels, saying the decision was 'untenable' and 'unsustainable'.

Meanwhile, counsel for petitioners -- Vaikom Vishwam, LDF convenor and Sunil Kumar, CPI MLA, informed a division bench that there was sufficient material to register a crime against Finance Minister K M Mani, who is facing allegations of bribe for granting bar license.
"There is no need to conduct preliminary investigation or quick verification before registering the crime," they submitted before a division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice A M Shaffique.