Court cracks down on Rave parties in Himachal, seeks detailed State report
Shimla | July 17,
The Himachal Pradesh High Court has taken a tough stand on rising drug abuse and alleged rave parties being organised in the name of tourism across the hill state. Taking cognisance of a public interest litigation moved by the Himalayan Environment Protection Society, Kullu, a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia and Justice Ranjan Sharma on July 15 issued notice to the State and other respondents. Additional Advocate General Rakesh Dhaulta and counsel Rajeev Sharma accepted notice for respondents No.1–4 and 5, respectively.
The petitioner has alleged that high‑priced rave events are being hosted at Kasol, Jibhi, Manali and other locations, with entry tickets ranging from Rs 5,000 to as high as Rs 7 lakh, and that such gatherings cannot take place without the protection of “big wigs” and political patronage. Videos of these parties are reportedly circulating online, and open availability of narcotics has been flagged.
Seeking accountability, the Court has directed the State to file, before the next hearing, detailed data on how many FIRs linked to rave parties have been lodged in Mandi and Kullu districts, the number of arrests made, and the age brackets of those arrested. The Bench further asked whether organisers have been identified; what income is being generated and how it is distributed; and whether any steps have been initiated to confiscate or attach properties of those behind such events. The matter will be listed on August 28, 2025.
In a related affidavit filed pursuant to an earlier order dated May 13, 2025, the Director General of Police placed district‑wise data of NDPS cases over the past five years, showing 2,147 cases registered in 2023—the highest in Shimla, followed by Mandi and Kullu. Till April 30, 2025, 783 NDPS cases had been registered statewide, indicating a declining trend, the affidavit states. It also informed the Court that the Drug Free Himachal App, toll‑free Nasha Nivaran Helpline (1908), detention mechanisms under the PITNDPS Act, 1988 for repeat traffickers, and Nasha Nivaran Samities at every police station level have been put in place to aid enforcement and community intelligence.
The Court noted, however, that the affidavit was silent on several earlier observations (para 4–8 of the May 13 order), making the State’s forthcoming response on the rave party issue all the more significant.
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