Now Reading: Old Monk maker says Maharashtra lost Rs 300-350 crore in excise revenue
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Old Monk maker says Maharashtra lost Rs 300-350 crore in excise revenue
Old Monk maker says Maharashtra lost Rs 300-350 crore in excise revenue
Mohan Rocky Springwater Pvt. Ltd, the maker of Old Monk rum, told the Bombay High Court on Monday (12 October 2026) that Maharashtra has lost between Rs 300 crore and Rs 350 crore in excise revenue since its Khopoli factory shut down in May. Livemint reports the company's senior counsel Venkatesh Dhond told the court that about 300 workers at the unit have been left idle. Barandbench reports Dhond also said the company has suffered over Rs 500 crore in losses.
The dispute stems from an FSSAI ban on Old Monk sales after lab tests found external flavouring substances, which the regulator says misrepresent the product under the 2018 Alcoholic Beverages Regulations. The company says the same rum is sold in other states without issue, and that talks with the regulator failed after its revised labels were rejected. The court will hear the matter next on 23 October.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Both outlets report the same core fact: the company told the court that Maharashtra lost excise revenue due to the Old Monk ban. The disagreement is in the exact figure, with Livemint reporting Rs 300 crore and Barandbench reporting Rs 350 crore. Barandbench also adds that the company itself lost over Rs 500 crore, a detail Livemint omits. The framing is otherwise uniform, with both outlets neutrally reporting the company's arguments, the FSSAI's position, and the next hearing date of 23 October.
A balanced reading notes the discrepancy in the excise figure, which likely reflects different parts of the submission or rounding. The key open question is whether the court will accept the company's revised labels or uphold the FSSAI's stance when it hears the matter on 23 October.
Coverage: 2 sources, 2 neutral
Sources (2): livemint.com (neutral report), barandbench.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
