India, April 2 -- The Bombay high court on Tuesday restrained Pune police from coercing a 24x7 provision store to close by 11.00pm. Such stores are necessary to achieve progress commensurate with global standards, the division bench of justices GS Kulkarni and Advait Sethna said, noting that there was neither any legal bar on stores remaining open round the clock, not had the state imposed any restriction on such stores.

The court was hearing a petition filed by Accelerate Product Venture, a start-up which has a 24x7 store in Pune named 'New Shop'. The firm, which plans to open a chain of 24x7 convenience stores across the country, alleged that police officials in Kondhwa, Pune were exercising power arbitrarily and coercing the shop to d...