Party attendees could be booked under NDPS Act

The Aarey Colony police, which is probing the mysterious death of 20-year-old Atharva Shinde after a rave party, is waiting for the blood and urine reports of the party animals from the forensic lab in Kalina for further line of action, said a senior police officer.

Over two dozen youngsters had gathered at bungalow number 212 in the elite Royal Palms to celebrate a girl’s birthday in which liquor and drugs had allegedly flowed, including LSD, ‘Meow Meow’ or MD, and marijuana (ganja).

The consumption of drugs is illegal as per the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985.

Responding to a query whether the youth who brought drugs to the party venue could be booked under the NDPS Act for supplying narcotics, an officer said, “If caught red handed, then he/she could be booked for possession of drug(s). But in this case recovery of drugs is important.”

“If the samples are taken within 24 hours of consumption of a drug, its traces could easily be found. The traces of drugs start to diminish if the samples are taken after 24 hours. If their forensic reports are positive, they will be booked under NDPS Act, as the punishment for drug consumption is three months,” said a senior officer of AntiNarcotics Cell (ANC) of Mumbai police.

The attendees included girls and boys in the 18-20 age group; they were called in at the police station and their blood and urine samples collected at Siddharth hospital on Wednesday. These samples were sent to the Directorate of Forensic Science Laboratory in Kalina. A senior officer at DFSL said ‘the samples are being examined and the report is expected to come out in four days.

The zonal Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Dr. Vinaykumar Rathod, said further line of action depends on the ‘forensic report.’

All the officers are tightlipped about what exactly transpire inside the Royal Palms’ gorgeous bungalow with four bedrooms, one gigantic hall and a private swimming pool during the birthday party.

A team of crime branch is also conducting parallel investigation but no arrest has been made so far.