The Kerala high court on Thursday put an interim stay on a contest by the state-run liquor retailer and a distillery firm inviting suggestions from the public for a name and logo for a brandy product.
Two public interest litigations (PILs) had challenged the contest on grounds that it promotes consumption of alcohol and violates provisions of the Kerala Abkari Act. One of the petitioners behind the PIL contended that the Malabar Distilleries Ltd even announced a prize for the winner of the contest.
However, the Kerala State Beverages Corporation (BEVCO) said in a counter filed in the high court that it has not issued any notification or press release for such a contest. The petitioner sought to know whether the board of directors of BEVCO approved the contest.
“We stay all further proceedings of the contest announced by the respondent number 3 and 4 until final disposal of the writ petition as we are prima facie satisfied that the petitioner has an arguable case of merit…and the nature of the advertisement is actually, in effect, soliciting use of the liquor and a measure towards the product being made available in the market,” the division bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar VM said.
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