In what is not music to the ears of New Year's eve revellers, Hotels and Restaurants in Maharashtra cannot play orchestra at their premises till the time liquor and food are allowed to be served. The revellers faced this prospect when the Bombay High Court today rejected the plea of these establishments seeking permission to play orchestra from December 31 night until 5 am on the New Year day.

The court also injected some humour during arguments when it said in a lighter vein that the offer of unlimited drinks by the hotels meant unlimited drinks within "limited time". A division bench of Justice M L Tahaliyani and Justice Girish Godbole while giving its ruling on orchestra bands however allowed the hotels and restaurants to serve food and liquor in their respective establishments till 5 am.

Indian Hotel and Restaurant Association (AHAR) had filed the petition, saying a state government circular of December 20 had extended the timings to serve liquor and food in hotels from 1.30 am to 5 am on January 1, 2012 because of New Year. However, orchestra was allowed only till 1.30 am.

AHAR pleaded that even playing of orchestra should be allowed till 5 am, to which the High Court said regulating the timings of restaurants and hotels was the prerogative of the government and they would not interfere with its decision. It pointed that a hotel in suburban Chembur was given written permission by an assistant commissioner of police to serve food, liquor and play orchestra till 5 am.

However, assistant government pleader J S Saluja said police would withdraw permission granted to this hotel as this had been given by mistake. AHAR then produced an invitation of a hotel which had offered unlimited drinks to the invitees at the New Year celebrations on December 31. "It said unlimited drinks means unlimited hours of time". However, Justice Tahaliyani observed in lighter vein, "It means unlimited drinks within limited time".