The Delhi High Court has notified the government to reconsider the state’s law on legal age of drinking. The court while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), filed by lawyer Kush Kalra questioned the current legal age of 25 years.
In his PIL, advocate Kalra claims that the 25 years bar set by the government is much higher and must be brought in consonance with other states such as Maharashtra or Karnataka where it is 21 or like in some states where it is as low as 18.
He also alleges that a person in India is allowed to legally marry at the age of 18 or 21, drive at 18 and even vote at the age of 18, then why there exists such a discrepancy with the drinking age. Also, allowing a person under the age of 25 to consume alcohol in a different jurisdiction but making it a crime in Delhi highlights the absurdity of the law.
A bench comprising of Delhi High Court Chief Justcie J. Gita Mittal and Justice C. Hari Shankar has served a notice to the Delhi Excise Department as Section 23 of the Delhi Excise Act, 2009 makes the purchase and consumption of alcohol under the age of 25 unlawful.
The PIL also sought from the government, if any actions were being taken against cases of serving of alcohol to underage persons or spreading awareness about the same.