The Bombay Prohibition Act 1949 Complete Act: How Maharashtra’s Alcohol Ban Shaped Law and Life

The Bombay Prohibition Act, 1949 is the backbone of Maharashtra’s strict alcohol laws. It didn’t just ban alcohol — it rewired how liquor is bought, sold, consumed, and even talked about legally in the state.
If you want a real-world, practical view of what this Act does and how it still grips everyday life in Maharashtra, you’re in the right place.

What the Bombay Prohibition Act 1949 Actually Bans and Allows

Right out of the gate, the Act made it illegal to manufacture, possess, sell, or drink alcohol in the (then) Bombay State without government permission.

• Breaking the law can land you in jail for up to five years and hit you with fines as high as Rs. 50,000 (Section 65 and Section 66). 
• Yet, not everything is black and white: the Act also allows alcohol to be accessed legally through permits for specific purposes — medicinal, scientific, industrial, or religious. 

In short: Without a permit, you’re breaking the law. With a permit, you’re navigating one of India’s oldest controlled substance systems.

How Permit Culture Grew Out of Prohibition

Maharashtra didn’t become a dry desert. It became a state of paperwork.
As of 2022, over 1.2 million alcohol permits were issued, allowing people to drink legally under strict regulation.
You need a permit even today to buy, possess, or consume alcohol, and bars and hotels need their own licensing layers.

The law didn’t kill drinking — it bureaucratized it.

The Reality on the Ground: Over 70,000 Prohibition Cases a Year

Prohibition under the 1949 Act hasn’t faded into the background. It’s alive and kicking.
In 2023 alone, Maharashtra registered more than 70,000 cases under the Act — proof that prohibition isn’t just a dusty old rulebook but something that still fuels police action daily.

Offenses range from drinking without a permit to smuggling illicit liquor across state borders.

How the Bombay Prohibition Act Has Toughened Over Time

This isn’t a frozen law. The Act has been amended over 20 times since 1949.
One of the biggest changes came in 2017 when Maharashtra raised penalties sharply for repeat offenders.
The signal was clear: the government wasn’t softening its stance, even as social attitudes toward drinking shifted.

So while Mumbai’s nightlife flourished, the legal leash stayed tight.

Conviction Rates Tell a Different Story About Enforcement

Here’s the irony: even though thousands of people are charged each year, the conviction rate for offenses under the Act in 2021 was only around 38%.
This means many cases either collapse due to weak evidence, procedural issues, or quietly die out in courtrooms.

It raises real questions about whether the law is still protecting society or just clogging up the system.

Why the Bombay Prohibition Act 1949 Still Matters Today

If you live in or visit Maharashtra, you’re not exempt from this law — even now.
Whether you’re grabbing a drink at a 5-star hotel or buying a bottle from a local wine shop, the 1949 Act is the invisible wall you’re operating behind.

It continues to define how alcohol is seen: not as a free consumer choice but as a tightly monitored activity woven into government control.