Supreme Court Halts SIT Formation Against Himachal Officials in Rave Party Case

Supreme Court's Intervention in Himachal Pradesh Rave Party Case

New Delhi, July 27 - In a significant development for senior officials in Himachal Pradesh, the Supreme Court intervened on Monday, placing a stay on a High Court order that mandated the formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and the filing of an FIR against the Deputy Commissioner, Superintendent of Police, and other officials for their alleged involvement in permitting rave parties in Kullu in 2025. However, the apex court did not grant a stay on the part of the High Court's order that involved the transfer of Deputy Commissioner Anurag Chandra Sharma and Superintendent of Police Madan Lal to other districts in the state.

On June 24, the High Court took a serious view of the alleged collusion between district officials and the organizers of large-scale rave parties in Kullu. It ordered the transfer of three senior officials, directed the filing of an FIR, and called for the establishment of an SIT led by an officer of the rank of Deputy Inspector General (DIG) or higher to investigate the matter.

During the proceedings on Monday, the bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi, and Justice V Mohan considered the arguments presented by senior advocate Madhavi Diwan on behalf of the state’s senior officials. The court noted that the organizers possessed a liquor license and that no illegal or wrongful actions could be attributed to them. The advocate argued that the officials were transferred without any hearing, which would tarnish their reputation due to the FIR and SIT investigation.

The bench justified the transfers of the Deputy Commissioner, SP, and SDM, stating that the officials could not contest their transfers. However, it emphasized that it had stayed the order for filing an FIR against the petitioners and also halted the formation of the SIT.