The Supreme Court on Monday stayed a Rajasthan High Court order that had directed the removal or relocation of all liquor outlets located within 500 metres of national and state highways across the state. 

A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta said the concerns raised by the high court were valid but added that the wide-ranging directions needed closer examination, especially in light of earlier Supreme Court rulings on the issue.

“The fact is that many deaths have indeed taken place. The issue is very sensitive. Some decisions or policy will have to be put in place to save lives,” the Bench observed, while hearing a petition challenging the November 24, 2025 order of the Rajasthan High Court.

The apex court admitted the petition and issued notice in the matter. It ordered that the operation of the high court’s directions would remain until further orders. The Bench noted that earlier judgments of the top court had allowed liquor vends in municipal areas and certain local bodies, subject to conditions, the news report said.

The judges said the high court’s order needed to be examined in this context before being implemented across the state.

The petition was filed by Ram Swaroop Yadav, who argued that the Rajasthan High Court had passed the directions in a public interest litigation without hearing the affected parties. He also said the court had overlooked binding Supreme Court precedents on liquor outlets near highways.

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the petitioner, told the court that the order could have serious consequences if allowed to continue. “In a PIL, this order has been passed without giving any opportunity to any party. We have challenged this order,” Rohatgi submitted.

The Rajasthan government supported the plea to stay the high court order. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the state, highlighted the practical problems in enforcing the 500-metre rule.

Mehta said that several cities and towns in Rajasthan are located directly along national or state highways. Enforcing the order strictly would mean shutting down liquor outlets across large urban areas. “The problem is there are certain cities which are directly on highways and therefore all vends will have to go,” he said, adding that a similar situation exists in places like Chandigarh.

The Rajasthan High Court, in its order, had criticised the state government for an “alarming rise in fatal road accidents” and for turning highways into “liquor-friendly corridors”. It directed the removal or relocation of 1,102 liquor outlets located within 500 metres of highways within two months, regardless of whether they were in municipal limits or other local bodies, the news report said.

The high court had also banned liquor-related signboards and advertisements visible to highway users.