Plea in HC to direct CBI, ED to identify officers who threatened liquor vendors

A plea came up for hearing before the Delhi High Court on Monday seeking direction to the CBI and ED to identify the officers who were allegedly causing harassment to 176 private liquor vendors and forcing them to close their shops. A bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad sought to know how a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) is maintainable if private persons are harassed and reserved its order on the petition.

"If a private person is harassed, how is it a PIL?" the bench asked.

"Arguments heard, order reserved," said the bench.


Delhi government standing counsel Santosh Kumar Tripathi and advocate Arun Panwar opposed the petition saying it was not maintainable and shall be dismissed with heavy costs.

The petitioner sought to direct the CBI and ED to identify officers who had allegedly threatened private liquor vendors that forced 176 of them to close shops within the last two months and thereby depriving livelihood to shop owners and causing loss to the state exchequer.

The petition also sought directions to produce a total number of scams and the amount of money allegedly laundered during demonetisation in Khadi and Village Industries Commission, as alleged by an AAP MLA.

It said that the Delhi government or the AAP MLA, who has made the allegations, should either produce proof to substantiate the allegations or tender an apology publicly.