The Hon’ble Sri Justice C.V.Nagarjuna Reddy Writ Petition No.17481 of 2006 Dated 14th June, 2010 Between: M/s.Maaunt Paradise Restaurant & Bar …Petitioner And The Commissioner of Police and 3 others …Respondents Counsel for the petitioner : Mr.D.Sudarshan Reddy Counsel for the respondents: AGP for Home The Court made the following: Order: At the interlocutory stage, the Writ Petition is taken up for hearing and disposal with the consent of the learned Counsel for the parties. I have heard Sri D.Sudarshan Reddy, learned Counsel for the petitioner, and the learned Assistant Government Pleader for Home representing the respondents. The grievance in short of the petitioner, which is a Bar and Restaurant, is that contrary to the statutory rule, the respondents have been objecting it from transacting its business activities beyond 9.00 p.m. The learned Counsel for the petitioner placed reliance on Rule 15 of the A.P.Excise (Grant of Licence by Selling by Bar and Conditions of License) Rules, 2005 (for short ‘the Rules’), which reads as under: “Hours of Business:- The Licensee shall transact business from 10.00 AM to 11.00 PM. However, the restaurant may supply food till 12.00 Midnight or as notified by the Government from time to time. Provided that the Licensee in respect of (3) Star and above Hotels shall transact business from 10.00 AM to 12.00 Midnight. Provided further that the Commissioner of Prohibition & Excise with the approval of the Government may bring about any change during the course of license period in the hours of business and the licensee shall observe such changed timings accordingly.” The learned Counsel for the petitioner submitted that though the above-reproduced Rule permits the petitioner to transact its business activities beyond 10.00 a.m., upto 11.00 p.m., and to supply food till 12.00 Midnight, the respondents-Police have been unduly interfering with its functioning beyond 9.00 p.m. While admitting the Writ Petition, this Court by interim order, dated 23-08-2006, in WPMP.No.21911 of 2006, directed the respondents not to interfere with the petitioner’s business activities provided it conducts its operations strictly in accordance with the above-mentioned Rule. In my opinion, since the above-mentioned Rule specifically permits running of a Bar and Restaurant upto 11.00 p.m., with further permission to supply food till 12.00 Midnight, unless the Commissioner of Prohibition and Excise with the approval of the Government brings about any change in the said timings, the respondents shall not interfere with the running of the petitioner-Bar and Restaurant by insisting on its closure by 9.00 p.m., daily. The respondents have not pleaded that the Commissioner has changed timings with the approval of the Government. Therefore, the Writ Petition is disposed of with the direction to the respondents not to interfere with the business activities of the petitioner-Bar and Restaurant, if the same is run strictly in accordance with Rule 15 of the Rules. As a sequel to disposal of the Writ Petition, interim order, dated 23-08-2006, is vacated and WPMP.No.21911 of 2006 is disposed of as infructuous. C.V.NAGARJUNA REDDY, J Dated 14th June, 2010 lur