New Delhi, Jul 27 In a relief to senior Himachal Pradesh officials, the Supreme Court on Monday stayed the high court order directing the setting up of an SIT and registration of an FIR against the Kullu deputy commissioner, the superintendent of police and others for their alleged role in allowing rave parties there in 2025.
The top court, however, refused to stay the part of the high court order transferring Deputy Commissioner (DC) Anurag Chander Sharma and Superintendent of Police (SP) Madan Lal to other districts in the state.
On June 24, the high court took a serious note of the alleged nexus between district officials and organisers of large-scale rave parties in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu district.
It ordered the transfer of three senior officers, directed the registration of an FIR and called for a Special Investigating Team (SIT) headed by an officer not below the rank of deputy inspector general (DIG) to investigate the matter.
On Monday, the top court bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana took note of the submissions of senior advocate Madhavi Divan, appearing for the senior state officials, and said that the organisers had a liquor licence and no illegality or wrongdoing can be attributed to them.
The senior lawyer said that they have been transferred without any hearing and the registration of the FIR and the SIT probe will stigmatise them.
The bench said that it has upheld the transfer of the DC, SP and the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) as the officers cannot oppose the transfer.
"But we have stayed the direction for the registration of FIR against the petitioners. We have also stayed the order on setting up of an SIT," the bench said.
"I was never heard... We are the DC and the SP. The measures were already put in place. No drug recovered from the premises. As a DC, I cannot be physically present," the senior lawyer said.
Earlier, the high court had observed that the case reflected a "classical case of abject surrender" by the Kullu DC and the SP despite the court having monitored the issue of alleged rave parties and drug abuse in Kullu and Mandi since July 2025.
The court was hearing a suo motu PIL concerning alleged rave parties being organised in Kasol, Jibhi, Manali and other parts of Kullu under the guise of tourism, where, according to earlier observations, entry fees ranged from Rs 5,000 to Rs 7 lakh and narcotic drugs were allegedly available openly.
The high court had noted that during the court's summer vacation, reports emerged that thousands of revellers had gathered at Green Forest-I and Green Forest-II near Kasol between June 7 and June 11.
Participants allegedly paid between Rs 10,000 and Rs 16,000 each to attend the events, attracting visitors from several cities as well as foreign countries, the high court said in its June 24 order.
The venue, located in a secluded forest area about six kilometres from Kasol, had extensive arrangements, including camping facilities, private security personnel and CCTV cameras, a report had said.
The District Legal Services Authority (DLSA) report had further stated that events were scheduled until 11 pm, exceeding the permitted time of 10 pm.
The high court noted that police intervention took place only after directions issued by the vacation bench on June 9, following which the parties were stopped, sound permissions were cancelled and two FIRs were registered.
The inspection also allegedly led to the recovery of large quantities of empty liquor bottles, cigarette butts, rolling papers commonly used for cannabis consumption and the seizure of a CCTV digital video recorder (DVR).
