I. On Sunday 9 March 2009, police of Karnataka state raided a farmhouse hosting a rave party. Drugs were not found, but all the 101 participants were arrested under
different laws that deal with obscene acts and songs in public places.A police spokesman later explained: “we did not recover any narcotics.
It might have got exhausted by the time we raided the premises”

II. BUT WAS IT A RAVE PARTY?
Even though drugs were not found, police called the gathering a rave party– suspected drug abuse; breach of excise rules; the party was disturbing the neighbourhood..

III. Police also said it was not a private party in a private farm house and the arrested were not known to the farm house owner.
The officer in charge of the raid stated that it was a commercial party without police permit:
“The organisers charged the party goers about Rs 1,000 aentry fee and that’s an offence. They also awadvertised the event over internet and smses”.

IV. Police recalled that serving liquor in an open area and playing music beyond the deadline of 11.30 pm was also an offence. Adding: “Permission is a must for such parties to serve liquor after the deadline and they did not have any permit.”

V. WAS IT A RAVE PARTY?
Even though drugs were not found, police said they “will call it a rave party”. (at the time of this statement the police had not yet got the medical report of the arrested from the Forensic Science Laboratory confirming the drug abuse. Police recalled that “excise rules have to be adhered to…and drugs abuse is a serious offense… “Secondly, these parties should not disturb the neighbourhood”.

VI. IS GOING TO A PARTY A CRIME?
Ramanagaram DSP D Devaraj said it was not a private party in a private farm house, and the arrested were not known to the farm house owner.
He added: ” it was a commercial party without police permit: the organisers charged the party goers about Rs 1,000 as entry fee and that’s an offense. They also advertised the event over internet and smses”.
Devaraj also said serving liquor in an open area and playing music beyond the deadline of 11.30 pm was also an offence.
He said, “Permission is a must for such parties to serve liquor after the deadline and they did not have any permit.”
Ramanagaram DSP D Devaraj said:” we have sent the blood samples to the lab and if they test positive for drug abuse, the party-goers would be booked under NDPS also”.

VI. WHY FARM HOUSE OWNERS NOT ARRESTED?
The farmhouse belonged to Mr. Ramakrishnaiah, who worked as Private Secretary to former Deputy Chief Minister of the state of Karnataka, Mr. Siddaramaiah. Organizers of the rave party had taken the farmhouse on rent and the negotiation was done through Ramakrishniah’s son.

VII. Police concluded in 2009: “if we come to know, in the course of the investigation, that the farmhouse was rented for commercial purpose knowingly, then we will take action against the owner”.

SOURCE: Times of India/Bengaluru News. This story was carried out on 9 March 2009. It has been republished today, 03 April 2003, in the context of Karnataka Assembly Elections due next month.

Disclaimer: Toute resemblance avec ce qui se passe à Maurice n’est qu’une pure coincidence.