Madras HC orders closure of Tasmac liquor shops, allows online sale and home delivery

The Madras High Court order was passed a day after the Tamil Nadu government registered a sale of about 20 lakh litres of liquor worth Rs 172 crore.

Long queues were seen as Tasmac liquor stores on Thursday, May 7, after the Tamil Nadu government opened retail liquor outlets across the state.

The Madras High Court Friday ordered the closure of government-run retail liquor outlets in the state till the lockdown is lifted. The court said the government can use online and home delivery models to sell liquor during the lockdown period.

A special division bench of Justice Vineet Kothari and Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana passed the interim order on a batch of petitions seeking closure of liquor shops alleging violation of all the conditions imposed by the court to permit reopening of Tasmac shops from May 7.

One of the petitioners was actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan’s political outfit, Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM).

On May 4, the state government passed a formal order to open liquor shops from May 7 to fight the deepening economic crisis. The order said shops would function between 10am and 5pm under strict social distancing norms. The government had also promised deployment of additional staff to manage the crowd.

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Even as the court heard petitions on May 6, judges refused to stay the government decision and imposed a series of conditions to permit liquor sale during lockdown. The norms insisted by the court included rationing by permitting one person to purchase only one bottle of liquor (750 ml) per day if payment is made by cash.

On Thursday, the government registered a sale of about 20 lakh litres of liquor worth Rs 172 crore.

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Sources in the government, meanwhile, said it will challenge the High Court order before the Supreme Court.

Arun Janardhanan

Arun Janardhanan is an experienced and authoritative Tamil Nadu correspondent for The Indian Express. Based in the state, his reporting combines ground-level access with long-form clarity, offering readers a nuanced understanding of South India’s political, judicial, and cultural life - work that reflects both depth of expertise and sustained authority. Expertise Geographic Focus: As Tamil Nadu Correspondent focused on politics, crime, faith and disputes, Janardhanan has been also reporting extensively on Sri Lanka, producing a decade-long body of work on its elections, governance, and the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bombings through detailed stories and interviews. Key Coverage Areas: State Politics and Governance: Close reporting on the DMK and AIADMK, the emergence of new political actors such as actor Vijay’s TVK, internal party churn, Centre–State tensions, and the role of the Governor. Legal and Judicial Affairs: Consistent coverage of the Madras High Court, including religion-linked disputes and cases involving state authority and civil liberties. Investigations: Deep-dive series on landmark cases and unresolved questions, including the Tirupati encounter and the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, alongside multiple investigative series from Tamil Nadu. Culture, Society, and Crisis: Reporting on cultural organisations, language debates, and disaster coverage—from cyclones to prolonged monsoon emergencies—anchored in on-the-ground detail. His reporting has been recognised with the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism. Beyond journalism, Janardhanan is also a screenwriter; his Malayalam feature film Aarkkariyam was released in 2021. ... Read More

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