Laws governing alcohol consumption and sale vary between states, but in many parts of the country, it is prohibited to consume alcohol in public places such as streets, parks, and beaches.
But what about public commuting?
Drinking in public creates a nuisance and is, therefore, punishable by the law.
There are various provisions under different statutes which state that Drinking in public is generally not legal in India.
- Section 59 of the Metro Railway Act, 2002 prohibits inebriated persons from travelling on the train.
- Section 185 of the Indian Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, it is illegal to consume alcohol in a moving vehicle, including buses.
- Section 145 of the Railway Act, 1989 says that if any liquor or intoxicant is found consumed anywhere in the railway premises, including the train or railway platform or intoxicant is found in his possession, his train ticket or railway pass shall be cancelled. He can be imprisoned for six months or fined up to Rs. 500.
Section 510 Indian Penal Code, 1860 punishes ‘misconduct in public by a drunken person‘. This Section states that whoever, in a state of intoxication, appears in any public place or in any place into which it is a trespass for him to enter and there conducts himself in such a manner as to annoy any person shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to twenty-four hours, or with a fine which may extend to ten rupees, or with both.
