Delhi High Court Dismisses Pernod Ricard's Plea Against Rejection Of Liquor License Applications

The Delhi High Court on Friday (May 29) dismissed a plea filed by multinational company Pernod Ricard against rejection of its L-1 liquor license applications solely on account of pending criminal prosecution by Directorate of Enforcement (ED).

Justice Purushaindra Kumar Kaurav rejected the plea, observing that pendency of the investigation gives Pernod Ricard a “criminal background” under the New Delhi municipal rules, thus rendering it “ineligible” for the grant of a licence.

The company had challenged the order passed by the Financial Commissioner of Delhi (FC) on February 17, 2025, upholding an order of the Excise Commissioner dated May 09, 2025, rejecting the applications.

It was Pernod Ricard's case that by rejecting its applications owing to mere pendency of a single prosecution, where even charges have not been framed, the licensing authorities had wished away three decades of its unblemished track record and bona fide conduct.

As per the petition, such rejection of the company's liquor license applications inverts the presumption of innocence and has been sought to be sustained on an absurd and legally unfounded finding that such presumption is not available in licensing matters.

Title: M/S PERNOD RICARD INDIA PVT. LTD v. THE EXCISE DEPARTMENT, DELHI & ORS

Citation: 2026 LiveLaw (Del) 549