Delhi Police lathi-charged at the gathering that had accumulated outside a liquor shop in Kashmere Gate. The police dispersed the crowd as they were flouting social distancing norms.
Also read: Liquor shops, wine shops reopen today amid lockdown: Check out timings, status, state-wise details
In the video released by news agency ANI, one can see that there are markers on the road ensuring people stand in those areas to maintain social distancing. However, customers can be seen crowding outside the liquor shop. Police chased away the gathering outside the shop.
Liquor shops in East Delhi have been closed after people flouted lockdown norms. A wine shop in Karol Bagh was also closed after people were found violating lockdown restrictions.
Liquor shops across Delhi as and wherever permissible have reopened today after a lockdown of nearly two months. Visuals from all across the city as well as across the country show people queueing up outside wine shops to buy alcohol.
However, it remains to be seen how long the stock of liquor lasts in these shops. Several liquor firms believe that existing stock could get over soon and restocking might take as long as a month. With lockdown in place for nearly two months, distilleries too have been shut for a while. Manufacturers believe states with relatively fewer cases such as Punjab, Haryana, Assam, and Karnataka might lead in sales as against states with higher corona count.
Five districts in Maharashtra said that they will not allow sale of alcohol. Administrations of Solapur, Aurangabad, Jalna, Buldhana and Amravati districts have issued instructions to liquor shops to remain shut. "The decision is taken in adherence to the Disaster Management Act, and to prevent any further spread of the coronavirus infection," a collector from one of these districts told PTI.
Also read: Coronavirus lockdown 3.0: Liquor stores open but stocks to run out soon