New Delhi, Aug 10 The Supreme Court was on Monday informed by the Himachal Pradesh government that two senior officials have been transferred out of Kullu district for their alleged role in allowing rave parties there in 2025.
The top court on July 27 had taken note of the pleas of Deputy Commissioner (DC) Anurag Chander Sharma and Superintendent of Police (SP) Madan Lal, and stayed the Himachal Pradesh High Court order directing the setting up of an SIT and registration of an FIR against them.
It, however, had refused to stay the part of the High Court order transferring them to other districts.
On Monday, a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana was informed by Advocate General of Himachal Pradesh Anup Rattan that the officers have been transferred in pursuance of the orders.
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 had ordered the transfer of three senior officers, including the sub-divisional magistrate, directed registration of an FIR and called for a Special Investigating Team (SIT) headed by an officer not below the rank of deputy inspector general to investigate the matter.
The apex court was informed on Monday that the SDM has also been transferred.
It was apprised that some private parties have moved appropriate applications before the high court for modification of its June 24 order and the pleas were pending there.
The bench disposed of the pleas filed before it by the officers and requested the high court to consider the applications pending there and pass appropriate orders on them.
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 high 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 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.
