In a major crackdown, the Thane police held at least 100 youngsters lost in a pool of drugs and liquor ahead of New Year at a private place on Thane's Ghodbunder Road near the Kasarvadavali Police Station. This raid was conducted after the police received a tip-off about the rave party, officials told news agency IANS.
"Police are alert, and action is being taken. Drugs, including MD, have been recovered. A case has been registered. We have taken a resolution for a drug-free Mumbai, and strict action is being taken," Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde said.
Police said the detained youngsters have been sent for medical tests and other formalities, adding that a large cache of drugs, narcotics and alcohol were seized from the venue.
The police arrested the organiser Tejas Kubal (23) and Sujal Mahajan (19) and recovered 70 gm of charas, 0.41 gm of LSD, 2.10 gm of Ecstasy pills, 200 gm of ganja and alcohol from the scene. Police also seized 21 motorcycles. The total amount of seizure was worth Rs 8 lakh.
The party was organised on a private plot with blaring music, singing and dancing. The police are yet to confirm whether money was charged illegally as the entry fee.
A local social activist Dr. Binu Varghese said the party venue was very close to the police establishments and expressed concern about how the police did not get to know about the event held in the home town of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
According to the latest information, the people who attended the party were invited through social media by the event organiser who is most likely a local from Thane.
Top officials and high-ranking police officers including Deputy Commissioner Shivraj Patil and his team were present when the police raided the party. Following this, security was beefed up in other cities like Mumbai and Pune.
The raid was conducted by officials of the Crime Branch Unit V- Wagle Estate and Unit II Bhiwandi around 3 am in a remote area near Vadavali Creek, PTI reported.
A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.