Supreme Court quashes Maharashtra methanol rules, suggests multi-department strategy

The Supreme Court on Friday struck down Rules 18A and 18B of the Maharashtra Poisons Rules, 1972, which required adding bitterant and colourant to methanol before sale to non-drug manufacturers. The court held the rules were manifestly arbitrary and lacked a rational nexus with preventing hooch tragedies, as the additives did not effectively prevent diversion of methanol for illicit liquor.

A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran instead suggested a coordinated multi-department approach: strict border monitoring by transport departments, police coordination with prohibition and excise departments to identify local breweries, and industries department monitoring of industrial units that manufacture chemical solvents. The court noted that complete alcohol bans often drive the liquor trade underground, citing Gujarat's prohibition policy and at least ten major hooch tragedies there that killed over 600 people.