Delhi police and the Delhi Excise department in a joint raid busted an illegal rave party in South Delhi Chhatarpur area on the intervening night of Saturday-Sunday. Police also seized several bottles of alcohol, 17 dark brown pills, 21 pink tablets, cash worth Rs 5.43 lakh from the sale proceeds of liquor, pills and entry fees charged by the organisers from the spot.
Police said that they have arrested eight people, including the main accused Pulkit Rastogi, Manish Tomar, Jai Kumar, Piyush Dutta and Nawal Goel. “However, two organisers Gaurav Mavi and Ali Chitley are absconding,” said the senior police official.
According to a senior police official, specific inputs were received on Saturday regarding violation of excise liquor’s licence and suspected supply of drugs in one of the premises, within the sprawling Dhan Mill compound on 100 Foota Road in Chhatarpur area.
“Acting on the inputs, the raid was carried and around 300 bottles of liquor and around 350 beer bottles from the party’s venue were seized. Liquor meant for sale in Haryana was also being served at the party. Around 17 dark brown pills and 21 pink colour tablets were also seized from the spot. The pills are suspected to be cocaine and they have been further sent to lab for testing,” said the senior police official.
However the excise department claimed that there were minors in the party who were also being served alcohol and most of those who attended it were from Gurugram and Faridabad in Haryana and Noida in Uttar Pradesh. “The venue, a big hall, in Chhatarpur, belonged to a fashion designing company and was being used for the rave party,” said an Excise official.
The police ascertained the organisers were charging Rs 500 from each of the guests for the liquor and beer being served there.
According to a senior police official, Pulkit claimed they had valid liquor licence P-10 for the purpose of serving a limited quantity of beer and liquor.
“However, a huge quantity, more than the numbers mentioned in the licence, of hard liquor such as whiskey and vodka were found at the make shift counters,” said the senior police official adding that Pulkit was arrested along with the cashier and driver of the SUV in which liquor in violation of licence terms was found.
“The entire event was organised by one Gaurav Mavi of Noida and Ali, also a resident of Noida, both are in property business.
They fled the spot as the raid was conducted. An First Information Report (FIR) has been registered cases under appropriate sections of the Excise and Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS) at Mehrauli police station,” said the senior police official adding that manhunt has been initiated to nab Mavi and Ali.
Earlier on May 5, around 161 men and 31 women were arrested from a rave party being held illegally at a farmhouse in Noida. The accused were arrested from the venue in Sector 135 where alcohol and other intoxicants were being served illegally.