MUMBAI: In a reprieve to the Indian Hotels and Restaurant Association (AHAR), Hotel and Restaurant Association of western India (HRAWI) and seven other associations, the Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the imposition of Rs 9 lakh as costs on them by Bombay high court and granted interim relief against any coercive steps over hike in foreign liquor license fee for 2021-22.
AHAR and HRAWI had rushed to the SC to challenge an order of dismissal passed on March 29 by the HC which had also imposed Rs 1 lakh fine on each as costs on the nine association to be paid to the chief minister relief fund after finding their challenge to a 15 percent hike in the FL-III licence fee to serve liquor, sans any merit and arguments “bordering on outrageous’’.
