Rave parties: Himachal Pradesh High Court orders transfer of DC, SP

The Himachal Pradesh High Court has ordered the transfer of the Kullu deputy commissioner, superintendent of police and sub-divisional magistrate, observing that they failed to maintain public order and instead facilitated the organisation of largescale rave parties in Parvati Valley of Kullu district.
A division bench of Chief Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia and Justice Bipin Chander Negi directed the state government to transfer the said officials within a week of the order, and to initiate departmental proceedings against them. 
The order was pronounced on June 24 and the detailed copy was released on Saturday.

The bench further ordered the registration of an FIR and the constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by an officer not below the rank of Deputy Inspector General (DIG) to probe the matter and initiate departmental proceedings against the three officers.
Hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) on rave parties and drug abuse in Kullu and Mandi districts, the HC observed that the officials failed to maintain public order and instead facilitated the organisation of large-scale rave parties despite prior warnings from the police about the possibility of drug consumption, trafficking and other unlawful activities.

The case pertains to an event organised at Green Forest-I and Green Forest-II in Grahan near Kasol from June 7 to 11 for which tickets were sold. It also stated that the matter requires investigation into whether there was any tacit permission by authorities and collusion regarding the commercial organisation and large-scale consumption of drugs by the organisers.
According to the report submitted by the District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), the venue was located in an isolated forest area, with around 50 camping tents, private security personnel and infrastructure capable of accommodating thousands of people.
The bench observed that the deputy superintendent of police’s (DSP) report dated June 5 had warned that possibility of narcotics consumption and trafficking could not be ruled out and advised authorities to consider these concerns before granting permission but sound permission was issued by the Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) on June 6.
According to the court, police reached the venue and stopped the events, registering two FIRs, only after the intervention of the HC’s vacation bench on June 9.     Huge quantities of empty liquor bottles, cigarette butts, rolling papers allegedly used for cannabis consumption and other evidence suggesting substance abuse were found.
The court further said the party would have continued from June 7 to 11 if the court had not intervened. The DVR of CCTV cameras installed at the venue was also seized.
It is also apparent that permission was still granted even though an adverse report by the DSP had been received, recommending that permission should not be granted on account of the apprehended organisation of rave parties and unauthorised activities, apart from largescale consumption of drugs. However, permission was still granted, the court said.

“It appears that the officers failed in their duties to maintain public order and rather facilitated the organisation of largescale rave parties,” the order said.
According to the DLSA report, two tourists were arrested with cocaine and LSD and a Russian national, Caria Kuzminykh, who was performing as a DJ at the event, died due to suspected drug overdose for which a postmortem was recommended.