Relief from Sales Ban for AB InBev

A sales ban on Delhi, which was slapped last year on Anheuser-Busch InBev, has been put on hold by a tribunal in New Delhi. This will enable Anheuser-Busch InBev, which is the largest brewer on the planet, to resume sales of its beer products in Delhi.

Allegations pertaining to the evasion of state taxes have resulted the authorities in Delhi to bar AB InBev in July from selling its beer products in the capital for three years. The company, as expected, denied the allegations. The ban was later reduced to 18 months.

Authorities in Delhi had unearthed that SABMiller, which was bought by AB InBev in 2016, used duplicate barcodes on its beer bottles supplied to Delhi’s retailers, which enabled it to get away with lower levies.

AB InBev appealed against the ban, which was rejected in December by a judge of the Delhi High Court, who directed AB InBev to approach the city tribunal for further relief. The tribunal stayed the ban and continues to hear the company’s appeal. It didn’t cite any reason in the one page order for putting on hold the ban.

An official from the Delhi government informed that the ban order would continued to be defended by the Delhi government.