Bantwal: Contrary to assurances given by district authorities that no permission was required to obtain liquor for private functions, officials enforcing the code of conduct detained the host of an engagement ceremony, on Saturday night for possessing liquor in large quantity at his house.
The arrested, Steven D’Silva, a resident of Ira village had invited over 600 guests for his niece’s engagement ceremony and had stocked liquor at his residence for the purpose.
The excise officials, from Kolar on finding around 16 litres of liquor, and beer bottles well beyond the permissible two litres allowed as per code of conduct rules arrested Steven, and refused to listen to his argument that he had bought the liquor for the engagement ceremony.
The locals have expressed their anger stating that such enforcement of rules without educating people about the same especially, while authorities have said that private functions need not seek permission is putting them to unnecessary hardships.
Taluk panchayat president Chandrahas Karkera said that such cases occur since people are not aware of the code of conduct rules adding that educating people on these rules was the need of the hour.
