'Dry state' Gujarat fliers consume ₹1.8L alcohol en route Bangkok
Passengers from Surat, Gujarat, on their way to Bangkok, allegedly drank the entire stock of alcohol during their four-hour journey. The 300-odd passengers drank 15 liters of alcohol worth around ₹1.80 lakh, a Gujarat Samachar report said. They also polished off all the popular Gujarati snacks, such as Khaman and Thepla on board. A video posted on X showed passengers flaunting empty liquor bottles onboard with a caption explaining their consumption.
Video evidence of onboard consumption shared
The video shared on X showed passengers flaunting empty liquor bottles. The caption read, "Surat to Bangkok flights started today. Passengers drank 15-liter of alcohol on the flight, and the alcohol ran out even before the plane reached Bangkok." It further added that "300 passengers consumed alcohol worth ₹1.8 lakh during the 4-hour-long journey. They even finished all the snacks."
Passenger's post on X
Gujarat's alcohol prohibition law and recent exceptions
Gujarat has had a law since 1960 prohibiting the consumption and sale of alcohol. However, that has not stopped residents from consuming or selling alcohol. During the state assembly's 2022 budget session, it was reported that liquor worth over ₹300 crore was seized during the previous two years. Recently, the Gujarat government allowed liquor consumption in the Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT) in Gandhinagar. The move is part of efforts to make GIFT a modern financial services and technology hub.
