The Himachal Pradesh High Court has ordered the transfer of the Kullu Deputy Commissioner, Superintendent of Police and Subdivisional Magistrate, observing that they failed to maintain public order and instead facilitated the organisation of large-scale raves 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 raves and drug abuse in Kullu and Mandi districts, the High Court 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. According to the report submitted by the District Legal Services Authority, 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.
