Overview
- The Supreme Court stayed the Rajasthan High Court’s November 24, 2025 directive and issued notice for a fuller hearing on the statewide removal of highway-adjacent liquor vends.
- Petitions by the state, licence holders, and petitioner Ram Swaroop Yadav argued the High Court acted without hearing affected parties and disregarded Supreme Court precedents.
- Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, supporting the challenge, said strict enforcement would be impractical because many Rajasthan towns lie directly along national and state highways.
- The High Court had ordered relocation within two months irrespective of municipal limits and barred liquor-related hoardings visible from highways, citing a 7.55% rise in drunk-driving cases.
- An excise affidavit said 1,102 shops treated as within municipal or local body limits generate about ₹2,221.78 crore, as the Supreme Court acknowledged genuine road-safety concerns and noted surrogate ‘arrow’ advertising.