ASHOK LANKA vs RISHI DIXIT .

The Supreme Court ruled that the trade in liquor is res extra commercium, meaning citizens do not have a fundamental right to engage in this trade. The Court emphasized that the State holds exclusive rights to regulate and control liquor trade under Entry 8, List II of the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India, and can impose excise duties as per Entry 51, List II. The judgment affirmed the provisions of the Chhattisgarh Excise Act, 1915, particularly Sections 7(e) and 62, which empower the State to delegate powers and frame rules for liquor licensing.