Press "Enter" to skip to content

Forget mazes and bridges to defy SC ban, now liquor sales at a temple in Cuddalore

A video broadcast on Puthiya Thalaimurai shows tipplers getting their fix by the temple tank.

Necessity is truly the mother of invention in Tamil Nadu, especially when it comes to getting your fix. Tipplers and liquor shops have been at their wit’s end to bypass the recent Supreme Court ban on liquor outlets near highways.

While TASMAC, the state-run liquor outlet had engineered a maze in Coimbatore and even a bridge in Trichy to continue sales to tipplers, a shocking video now shows a temple in Cuddalore becoming the site of illegal sales.  

Read: This Tamil Nadu liquor shop built a bridge across a river to help drunk men evade cops

An exclusive video broadcast on Puthiya Thalaimurai showed the illegal sale of liquor taking place at the Vriddhagiriswarar Temple in Cuddalore. The video shows a man taking out liquor bottles from a bag and then selling it to customers near the temple tank. One tippler is also caught mixing his drinks, and drinking by the steps of the temple tank.  

The liquor sales were reportedly taking place between 6am and 10am. While residents living near the temple complained to police officials about the illegal sale of alcohol, no action was taken. Women alleged that they were unable to visit the temple as the sale took place at the spot where devotees wash their feet before entering the temple.

Following the broadcast of the video, Vijaykumar, Superintendent of Police, Cuddalore district promised to take strict action against the illegal sales of liquor.

On Monday, the Madras High Court restrained the state government from opening or re-locating TASMAC outlets in residential areas. They also informed the Tamil Nadu police not to arrest people who are carrying out peaceful protests against liquor outlets.

 On March 31, the Supreme Court had banned the sale of liquor within a 500m radius of state and national highways. 

Watch video:

[embedded content]

Source: The News Minute