35 youngsters rounded up in pub raid

The Oshiwara police raided a pub and rounded up 35 youngsters, including four women for “indecent behaviour” in public while they were dancing at Oshiwara in Jogeshwari (west) in the early hours of Saturday. When asked to describe the “indecency”, the official refused to comment. One of the youngsters, 21-year-old Sohail Bhatia, was found to be under the influence of charas. The Oshiwara police said the raid took place at around 12.30 am at Chez Moi pub situated on Link Road. A police official said the pub had advertised a “fest” on social networking site Facebook, stating “DRINK ALL YOU CAN at Rs. 599* only.” Acting on a tip-off that drugs would be supplied at the party, police officials raided the pub and found 21-year-old Bhatia to be under the influence of charas. He was consuming charas in the form of cigarettes. “We wanted to catch the drug peddler, but he got away. We charged 17 others for indecent behaviour, including four women. They were let off from the police station after paying a fine of `1,200,” said investigating officer, police sub-inspector Vijay Chavan. Moreover, even as the police skipped the urine test, they took blood samples of all the 35 youngsters to ascertain if they were under the influence of drugs. “Bhatia tested positive while reports of others is awaited,” said senior police inspector, Nasir Pathan of Oshiwara police station. The 21-year-old is a resident of New Delhi and studies in Bengaluru. He had come to the city for two days and had gone to the pub with his friends. He has been booked under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 Section 8 (C) read with 27. He was produced in a magistrate’s court and was remanded to judicial custody. He will be lodged at Arthur Road prison till he is bailed out.