A case has been registered against a pub in Kerala by officials of the Excise Circle Office, for allegedly violating licence conditions, including not maintaining the stock register and employing women. The Excise Circle Inspector in Kochi registered a case on Tuesday, March 15, against 'Fly High' in hotel Harbour View in the city and the manager of the hotel has been arrested. The outlet was inaugurated on March 11 and was touted to be the ‘first pub of Kerala’.
"Upon inspection, we found various license condition violations. The stock register of the pub was not maintained properly. We have found several irregularities in the register," a senior excise official told PTI. The official also said that as per the provisions under the Foreign Liquor Act in Kerala, women are not to be employed in bars and pubs to serve liquor and this place has violated that also.
The video from the day of inauguration of the pub, which was slated as "the first pub in Kerala'' has been circulating in social media for the last few days in which foreign nationals, including women, were seen serving liquor and working as bartenders.
Sources from the Excise Department said the stock register should be maintained and updated every morning and evening when the place opens and closes. However, the pub did not do so, said the official. The excise official said a case has been registered and details will be submitted to the court following which further action will be taken against the pub.
The case has been registered invoking Rule 27A of Kerala Foreign Liquor Rules and Section 56B (for misconduct by licensee) of the Abkari Act and violations of licence conditions 12 and 9A, The Times of India reported. The bar authorities had also denied advertising the bar as ‘Kerala’s first pub’ since the government has not started issuing licences to pubs in Kerala, according to the report.
(With PTI inputs)