Pune: A police raid on an illegal party at Liquid Leisure Lounge (L3) Bar on Fergusson Road revealed the consumption of the drug mephedrone, leading to the arrest of two individuals.
The Pune police apprehended Nitin Thombre from Goregaon, Mumbai, who allegedly brought the drug to Pune for the party, as confirmed by Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar.
The arrested individuals, Nitin Thombre (34) and Karan Mishra (34), both residents of Mumbai, were detained after a video surfaced showing drug consumption in the bar's restroom. Eight others, including the bar owner, were also arrested by police in subsequent action.
Following interrogations, the police collected blood samples from three party attendees, pending lab results. Thombre and Mishra confessed to drug use during the party. Thombre, an architect, and Mishra, a computer engineer, were friends who had consumed mephedrone before attending the event.
Five grams of mephedrone were seized from Thombre. Both Thombre and Mishra were presented in court, where First Class Magistrate J.S. Bhatia ordered their police custody until June 29 for further investigation.
The police also arrested L3 Bar owner Santosh Vitthal Kamthe, bar operator Utkarsh Kalidas Deshmane, party organizer Akshay Dattatreya Kamthe, DJ Dinesh Mankar, and party organizers Rohan Raju Gaikwad and Manas Malik. The police are investigating other attendees and waiting for blood test results.
Warning on Unlicensed Dancefloors
Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar warned that bars and restaurants operating dancefloors without proper licenses would face strict action. Some establishments continue to host parties until midnight without the necessary permits, and the police are actively gathering information to enforce regulations.
Action Against Cult Pub
Further, Police Commissioner Amitesh Kumar announced impending action against the owners and managers of Cult Pub in Hadapsar. The pub hosted a party organized by Akshay Kamthe, who later announced another party at L3 Bar.
Cult Pub management failed to inform the police about the subsequent party, prompting warnings of strict measures against them.
