Authority: Calcutta High Court, Circuit Bench at Port Blair
Order Date: 27 August 2026
Case Overview
- Petitioners: M/s Hotel Sri K.P.N and another; Respondents: Deputy Commissioner, South Andaman District and another.
- The petition challenged Order No.578 dated 11 May 2026, which rejected the renewal of the hotel's bar licence.
- Licence originally issued on 31 March 2023 for one year; renewal application filed on 23 August 2024 by Mrs. S. Kasthuri.
- Respondents rejected on grounds that applicant lacked locus standi and that the licence, allegedly in the name of Shri T. Kannan, had been cancelled under sections 18(d) and (f) of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands Excise Regulation, 2012.
- Court found that the licence was never in Shri T. Kannan’s name but in the proprietorship firm owned by him; after his criminal conviction he leased the business to Mrs. S. Kasthuri, who applied for renewal.
- The court held the cancellation order erroneous because no licence was ever issued to Shri T. Kannan; therefore the impugned order cannot stand.
Final Outcome
- The order dated 11 May 2026 is set aside.
- The competent authority must reconsider the renewal application of the proprietorship firm within four weeks of this order and issue a reasoned order.
- If defects are found, the firm must be given an opportunity to rectify them.
- No costs awarded; parties directed to act on the server copy of the order downloaded from the Court’s website.
Topics: Bar Licence Renewal, Hospitality Regulation, Judicial Review