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Shimla, August 8
Supreme Court has stayed the directions of the Himachal Pradesh High Court for registration of FIRs and constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) against the Kullu Deputy Commissioner, Superintendent of Police and Sub-Divisional Magistrate in the Kasol rave party matter, while directing the State Government to comply with their transfer orders.
The position emerged before a Division Bench of Chief Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia and Justice Bipin Chander Negi on August 6 when the High Court took up the matter for compliance with its June 24 order. The court was informed that the three government officials had approached the Supreme Court through Special Leave Petitions.
According to the High Court order, the Supreme Court on July 27 stayed the June 24 directions insofar as they required registration of FIRs against the officials and constitution of an SIT. At the same time, the apex court directed the State Government to transfer the officials immediately to ensure a fair inquiry into the matter. A subsequent order dated August 4 also dealt with the matter.
The High Court noted that its June 24 direction for an FIR was intended to ascertain whether there had been any tacit permission or collusion by authorities in the commercial organisation of the parties and alleged large-scale consumption of drugs. The investigation was also to address questions raised by the High Court when the original suo motu PIL, CWPIL No. 53 of 2025, was registered on July 15, 2025.
Those questions included the number of FIRs registered in Kullu and Mandi in connection with rave parties, the number and age profile of persons arrested, identification of organisers, investigation into the income generated through such events and its distribution, and action taken for confiscation or attachment of organisers’ properties.
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The High Court, however, observed on August 6 that the FIR directed under its June 24 order had apparently still not been registered. Advocate General Anup Rattan submitted that there had been a misconception as two earlier FIRs, Nos. 49 and 50 of 2026, had already been registered. He further informed the court about another FIR, No. 61 of 2026, dated July 7, though the same had not been placed on record.
The State also informed the court that the transfer of the Superintendent of Police, Kullu, had been implemented on August 5 and that the transfer of the Deputy Commissioner, Kullu, had also been complied with. The SDM had approached the Supreme Court but did not obtain relief on August 4, and his transfer order was therefore expected to be issued shortly.
The latest development follows the June 24 judgment in which the High Court had strongly criticised the functioning of the district administration and police over the Kasol events. The court had ordered transfer of the three officials, registration of an FIR, constitution of an SIT headed by an officer not below the rank of DIG and departmental proceedings.
The underlying case concerns allegations of rave parties being organised in Kasol, Jibhi, Manali and other parts of Kullu in the name of tourism. The High Court had taken particular note of the June 2026 event at Green Forest-I and Green Forest-II near Kasol after Justice Romesh Verma, sitting as Vacation Judge on June 9, took cognisance of local media reports and ordered a spot inspection by the DLSA Kullu.
The matter will now come up before the High Court on August 20, 2026 for further compliance.
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