KOCHI: The excise department on Monday registered cases against licensees and managers of three bars for reportedly serving liquor to 19-year-old Suhail Sajeev, who was behind the wheel of the car involved in the Nedumbassery accident in the early hours of Sunday that claimed the lives of three youngsters.
Authorities of establishments in Kadavanthra, Palarivattom and Nedumbassery were booked under Section 15B of the Kerala Abkari Act, which prohibits the sale of liquor to persons below the prescribed legal age of 23. They have also been booked under Section 56(b) for violating conditions of their bar licences.
“We are relying on CCTV footage as key evidence. The age of the accused driver was confirmed after examining his Aadhaar card. Liquor cannot be sold or served to anyone below the age of 23, and they are also prohibited from consuming it,” an excise official said.
The department has issued show-cause notices to the three outlets, seeking explanations on why liquor was allegedly served to a person below the legal drinking age.
“If a customer appears to be below the prescribed age, the establishment should verify their age before serving. Providing alcohol to someone below the legal age is a violation, and the establishments must explain why they did so.”
The department will seek the custody of the accused for interrogation and submit an investigation report to the excise commissioner, officials said.
Under the applicable provisions, the establishments could each face a fine of up to Rs 25,000. The excise commissioner can also suspend their licences if the allegations are established, sources said.
The official said the department’s primary focus was to determine how Suhail obtained alcohol and to identify the establishments responsible.