Police raid Mamallapuram resort, round up 176 for rave party

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Chennai: As many as 176 people, including seven women, were detained for allegedly taking part in a rave party at a nearby resort, where ganja and liquor from Andhra Pradesh were used, police said Monday.

A case was registered against three men for possession of a "small quantity of ganja" and nine others for illegally bringing and using liquor from Andhra Pradesh, which is barred under the Tamil Nadu Prohibition Rules, and they have been arrested, Kancheepuram district police officials told PTI.

The resort, which was sealed Monday pending inquiry, did not have a valid licence to vend liquor on its premises, the officials said. Use of alcoholic beverages from other states and possession of ganja should also be taken into account and a case was filed against the resort authorities, they said.

All the others have been let off with a warning to desist from such illegal "events," officials added. Most of the participants were aged below 30 and included students, information technology professionals, businessmen and three couples, according to police.

On May 4, a drug racket was busted at a resort near Pollachi in Coimbatore district and over 150 college students were arrested. A total of 159 students was allegedly under the influence of ganja, cocaine, intravenous drugs, sedatives and also liquor when they were arrested, police had said. A majority of the students hailed from neighbouring Kerala and were students of colleges at Coimbatore.

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