Cops bust rave party at small-time actor’s Goa villa; 23 arrested

Panaji, August 16 

Police raided a rave party going on at a small-time Bollywood actor Kapil Jhaveri’s villa in Vagator village in North Goa, and arrested 23 people, including the actor and three women foreign nationals, officials said on Sunday.

The raid was conducted by the crime branch and narcotics worth over Rs 9 lakh were seized from the party that was going on amid the COVID-19 pandemic on Saturday night under the Anjuna police station limits, they said.

“Jhaveri and three foreign nationals -- two women from Russia and another from Czech Republic -- were arrested under stringent Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, for allegedly possessing banned substance during the police raid,” Superintendent of Police Crime Branch Shobhit Saxena said.

“Nineteen others were arrested for violating the rules related to social distancing,” he said.

During the raid, drugs like cocaine, MDMA, charas and other chemical substance were recovered from the party venue, he added.

Another crime branch official said that Jhaveri himelf had organised the rave party at his villa.

Most of the 19 others were domestic tourists who had come to the coastal state on a vacation, he said.

Saxena said that Jhaveri has acted in a few Bollywood films and currently lives in Goa.

Some of his films include “Dil Pardesi Ho Gaya” and “Ishq Vishk”.

According to Saxena, further arrests in the case would be made as the investigation progresses.

Judicial Magistrate First Class in Panaji on Sunday remanded Jhaveri (40) along with three foreigner women in five days of police custody, he said.

Goa Director General of Police Mukesh Kumar Meena in a tweet said, “Zero tolerance to #Drugs and Ensuring Public Safety #goapolice Crime Branch busted a late night party in Anjuna. 23 persons including 3 foreigners were arrested and narcotic drugs worth over Rs 9 lac were seized.”   

Goa Forward Party MLA Vinod Palyekar, who represents Siolim constituency, which covers Vagator village, claimed rave parties were happening in the coastal belt in full swing.

 “Local police stations are bribed,” he alleged in a Facebook post, adding “its high time that Anjuna police station be fully revamped including the police inspector.”

“The state needs full time Home Minister as Chief Minister Sawant’s focus is on mining transportation. CM has failed in curtailing crime in the state. Lobo (BJP MLA Michael Lobo) can perform better as Home Minister,” he added. — PTI