Delhi shuts down unlicensed restaurants serving liquor

Delhi's excise department has filed FIRs against 24 restaurants for serving liquor without proper licenses, following 40 raids conducted between January and April. The raids, primarily in west and north Delhi, revealed establishments using eating house certificates but lacking required excise licenses, leading to the seizure of non-duty paid liquor and significant revenue losses. The government plans to request the Delhi Police to cancel the registration certificates of the violating restaurants. This crackdown is part of a special enforcement drive launched in January 2025 to bring unlicensed premises under legal frameworks, aiming to boost revenue and improve regulatory oversight of liquor sales.