Overview

• Justices A. S. Gadkari and R. R. Bhonsale issued notice to the state excise department and directed that the excise inspector be represented.
• The court asked Wankhede to place the original, now-cancelled licence on record after his lawyers said it was not yet filed and sought time to amend the petition.
• The petition challenges a Thane FIR alleging he misrepresented his age in 1997 to obtain a licence, citing IPC sections 181, 188, 420, 465, 468 and 471.
• The Thane collector’s February 1, 2022 order sealed Hotel Sadguru and cancelled the licence, citing underage procurement, CIDCO restrictions and unapproved plan changes.
• Wankhede’s defence invokes juvenile jurisdiction, points to decades of renewals and alleges political motivation, with interim protection from arrest earlier granted.