The Supreme Court today questioned the logic behind Kerala government's new liquor policy for limiting bar licences to only five-star hotels.

The new policy is a part of a move to implement total prohibition in the State in 10 years. The Apex Court agreed to examine it.

A bench of justices A R Dave and U U Lalit agreed to grant an urgent hearing on a plea of hotel owners and posted the case for tomorrow.

It asked the state government not to take any coercive step against them, as the bars have been directed to be shut down from tomorrow.

Legal luminaries including Fali S Nariman, Ram Jethmalani, Rajeev Dhawan, C S Sunderam and Arvind Dattar appearing for various hotels, made a strong plea to the court to stay the policy. Under the new policy, the UDF Government had decided in August to shut down around 700 bars attached to hotels below five-star categories.