3 weeks ago
Rave Party Row in Himachal: Top Officers Transferred After Probe
Some very big music parties happened in a forest near a small town in India called Kasol.
People were worried because drugs might be used at these parties.
A lady DJ from Russia named Daria got very sick and died, and many believed it was because of drugs.
A judge asked a team to check what really happened at the party.
The team found that the party was allowed to play very loud music even though police had warned about drugs.
The party also went on much later than the time it was allowed to.
The judge was unhappy with the officers who were supposed to watch over these things and ordered them to be moved to other jobs.
Some people who helped with the party were also charged with breaking rules.
A group that cares about the local area and young people asked the court to stop these parties.
Now the country's highest court is also looking into the case.
A probe into the Ananda Festival Pre-Party near Kasol found lax implementation of rules, including sound permission granted despite a police warning about possible drug use.
Russian DJ Daria Kuminykh, 29, died at a homestay in Kasol on June 11 from a suspected drug overdose; the exact cause of death is yet to be determined.
The five-day festival, scheduled for June 7-11, ended two days early on June 9 after the Himachal Pradesh High Court ordered a probe and police raided the site and seized drugs.
The High Court ordered the transfer of Kullu's Deputy Commissioner, Superintendent of Police and Sub-Divisional Magistrate, calling the case 'a classical case of abject surrender.'
Kullu NGO Himalayan Environment Protection Society moved the High Court after getting no response from police, local administration or the Narcotics Control Bureau, alleging rampant rave parties with ticket prices up to Rs 7 lakh.
- Who
- Kullu Deputy Commissioner Anurag Chander Sharma, Superintendent of Police Madan Lal and SDM Nishant Sharma were transferred; Russian DJ Daria Kuminykh, 29, died; NGO Himalayan Environment Protection Society filed the petition; Yashpal and Ishwar Singh were charged.
- What
- A probe into the Ananda Festival Pre-Party found lax enforcement of rules; top Kullu officers were transferred and the High Court ordered an FIR and a probe by a Special Investigating Team.
- Where
- Around Kasol in Kullu district, Himachal Pradesh, India.
- When
- The festival was scheduled for June 7-11, 2025, ended early on June 9; Kuminykh died on June 11; the High Court ordered transfers at a June 24 hearing.
- Why
- Allegations of rampant rave parties and drug use around Kasol, which the petition said were enabled by bureaucratic connivance and political influence, combined with findings of lax implementation of rules.
Critics and judicial authorities
Event organisers and their defence
Officer accountability
Critics and judicial authorities
The High Court called the handling 'a classical case of abject surrender' and ordered the transfer of top Kullu officers, an FIR and a probe by a Special Investigating Team.
Event organisers and their defence
The DC and SP moved the Supreme Court against the transfer direction, and the lawyer for the charged suspects says they are innocent and were not the organisers of the event.
Organisers' role
Critics and judicial authorities
The probe report found sound permission was granted despite a police warning about drugs, and events ran well past the permitted time of 10 pm.
Event organisers and their defence
Defence lawyer Chuneshwar Thakur says Yashpal and Ishwar Singh only leased out their land for the party and obtained the sound permission, but were not the organisers.
Event regulation
Critics and judicial authorities
Environmentalist Guman Singh says events are held in secluded areas because organisers and participants do not want to follow any rules; HEPS says drug consumption among local youths has increased.
Event organisers and their defence
Permits were formally obtained for the event, and those charged argue the event was a legitimate gathering for which land and sound permissions existed.
Key facts
- Event
- Ananda Festival Pre-Party
- Location
- Forested stretch near Kasol, Kullu district, Himachal Pradesh (capacity around 5,000)
- Scheduled dates
- June 7-11, 2025 (wrapped up early on June 9)
- Deceased
- Russian DJ Daria Kuminykh, 29, died at a Kasol homestay on June 11
- Suspected cause of death
- Drug overdose (exact cause yet to be determined)
- Entry ticket prices
- Rs 5,000 to Rs 7 lakh
- Officers transferred
- Kullu Deputy Commissioner Anurag Chander Sharma, SP Madan Lal and SDM Nishant Sharma
- FIRs
- One against Yashpal and Ishwar Singh for serving liquor without a licence; two against men allegedly caught with narcotics
Quotes
Chuneshwar Thakur
Lawyer for suspects Yashpal and Ishwar Singh
“We approached the High Court when we started noticing the direct impact of these parties, which have been held for a long time, on local youths… The consumption of drugs has also increased among them… We did not get any response from police, local administration or the Narcotics Control Bureau, and hence moved the court.”
indianexpress.com
“Why hold such events in secluded areas? It’s because the organisers of such events and participants don’t want to follow any rules.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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