‘Liquor Langar’ in Chandigarh: Fine of ₹7 Lakh Imposed as Excise Dept Cracks Down
Liquor langar in Chandigarh: Ten days after Chandigarh’s ‘Liquor Langar’ went viral, the Excise Department has named the licensee, imposed a ₹7 lakh penalty — and separately cancelled a bar licence in Sector 7. North Desk tracks the fallout.
North Desk Correspondent
Chandigarh, June 5
Remember the liquor langar in Chandigarh? The Chandigarh Excise Department has closed the enforcement chapter of the ‘Liquor Langar’ case — the viral Sector 9 incident that turned a branded vodka promotion into a public scandal — by imposing a penalty of ₹7 lakh on the licensee and issuing a formal press note naming the shop for the first time.
The licensee is M/s Bajaj Spirits Pvt. Ltd., operating from the Internal Market, Sector 9 — the same upscale commercial pocket where, on May 25, staff were filmed pouring Smirnoff Minty Jamun Vodka over ice golas and distributing them to members of the public standing outside the licensed premises. The video went viral on social media, triggering an FIR, the arrest of shop owner Rajesh Sachdeva, and widespread public outrage.
The penalty was imposed by Collector (Excise) Pradhuman Singh after a show-cause notice was issued to the licensee and the matter was given due consideration. The action was taken under the directions of Nishant Yadav, IAS, Excise and Taxation Commissioner, UT Chandigarh.
Liquor langar in Chandigarh: ₹7 Lakh for a Viral Offence: Is the Penalty Enough?
Liquor langar in Chandigarh: The question the penalty immediately raises is one of proportionality. The Chandigarh Excise Policy 2026-27 is built on a framework of strict compliance — hologram tracking, GPS-monitored transport, CCTV with 30-day backup, and 662 retail inspections conducted by enforcement teams in 2025-26 alone.
LIQUOR LANGAR!: Chandigarh’s Sector 9 Gets a ‘Liquor Langar’ — and a Rude Awakening
A promotional activity — publicly distributing liquor outside licensed premises in one of the city’s most surveilled commercial zones — went undetected by all of that apparatus until a video went viral. The department’s enforcement machinery moved only after social media forced its hand.
The outcome: a ₹7 lakh penalty. The shop licence, as of the press note, remains intact.
Whether that is adequate is a question that needs answers.
The Smirnoff Question, Still Unanswered
The original North Desk report flagged that a private company representative — apparently deployed to run the brand activation — was also involved in the Sector 9 event. Police at the time said they were probing the role of that agency. The Excise Department’s press note makes no mention of any action against the brand activation agency or Diageo India, the maker of Smirnoff.
Smirnoff Minty Jamun Vodka — a flavoured variant specifically designed for the Indian market — is a named product in both the FIR and now the official press note. Whether its manufacturer or its authorised promotion agency faces any regulatory consequence remains publicly unaddressed.
Sector 7 Bar Loses Its Licence Entirely
Buried in the same press note is a second, starker action. M/s Kaindal Hospitality, operating a bar at SCO 11, Sector 7, Chandigarh, has had its bar licence cancelled outright — a significantly harsher outcome than the fine handed to Bajaj Spirits.
The press note states the cancellation was for violation of the Punjab Excise Act, 1914 and the rules thereunder, but provides no further detail on the nature of the violation. North Desk is seeking specifics from the department.
The Original Case: Where It Stands
On the police side, Rajesh Sachdeva, the owner of Liquor World in Sector 9 — the vend operated by M/s Bajaj Spirits — was arrested on May 25 under the Punjab Excise Act, 1914 and Section 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The FIR remains active. The role of the private company representative involved in the promotion is still under investigation, according to the original police statement. There has been no public update on that aspect of the probe.
North Desk first reported the Liquor Langar incident on May 25. Read the original report: LIQUOR LANGAR!: Chandigarh’s Sector 9 Gets a ‘Liquor Langar’ — and a Rude Awakening
Also read: The Liquor Langar Case: What Can the Law Actually Do to the Accused?
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