New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the Himachal Pradesh High Court’s direction ordering registration of FIRs and constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) against three senior district officials over the alleged facilitation of rave parties in the hill state’s Kasol, while allowing its direction for their immediate transfer to remain in force.
A bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana issued notice on special leave petitions (SLPs) filed by the affected officers and made the matter returnable on August 10.
The top court said: “Meanwhile, the impugned order, to the extent it directs registration of FIR(s) against the petitioners and constitution of a Special Investigating Team for investigation, is stayed.”
However, it clarified that “with a view to ensure a fair inquiry into the matter, the state government shall comply with the directions to transfer the petitioners immediately, without any delay”.
The SLPs arose from a June 24 order of the Himachal Pradesh High Court, which had directed the state to transfer Kullu Deputy Commissioner Anurag Chander Sharma, Superintendent of Police Kullu Madan Lal and the SDM concerned, besides ordering registration of FIRs, constitution of an SIT headed by an officer not below the rank of Deputy Inspector General of Police and initiation of departmental proceedings.
It had passed the directions while hearing a batch of matters relating to drug abuse and illegal rave parties, including a suo motu public interest litigation concerning alleged rave parties in Kasol, Jibhi, Manali and other parts of Kullu.
The Himachal Pradesh High Court had observed that the case reflected “a classical case of abject surrender” by the district administration and police despite the court having been monitoring the issue of rave parties since July 2025.
Referring to an inspection conducted by the Secretary of the District Legal Services Authority following reports of large-scale parties at Green Forest-I and Green Forest-II near Kasol in June this year, the High Court said that the venue had facilities for thousands of participants, liquor was allegedly being served without authorisation and narcotic substances were suspected to have been consumed.
A Bench of Chief Justice G.S. Sandhawalia and Justice Bipin C. Negi recorded that despite an adverse police report warning that “the possibility of consumption or trafficking of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances… cannot be ruled out entirely”, sound permissions for the event were granted.
It further observed that “had there not been an intervention by the Vacation Bench on 9th June, 2026, the party would have merrily continued from 7th to 11th June, 2026, on the strength of the tacit permission of the SDM, Deputy Commissioner and the Superintendent of Police”.
Holding that the officials had failed in maintaining public order and had “rather facilitated the organisation of large-scale rave parties”, the CJ Sandhawalia-led Bench said it was “difficult for us to accept that this was done without the connivance of the local administration”.
The High Court had consequently directed the state government to transfer the three officers within a week, lodge necessary FIRs, constitute an SIT and initiate departmental proceedings, observing that such directions were necessary “to restore administrative confidence”.
The proceedings stem from a suo motu PIL initiated by the Himachal Pradesh High Court in July 2025 after the Himalayan Environment Protection Society alleged that rave parties were being organised in Kullu district under the cover of tourism, with entry fees ranging from Rs 5,000 to Rs 7 lakh and drugs being openly available at such events. The High Court had then sought details from the state on FIRs registered in connection with rave parties, identification of organisers, the financial proceeds from such events and action taken to attach their properties
(IANS)
