The death of two youths during the ‘Techno Nine Times Nine’ music concert held at the NESCO Centre in Goregaon has triggered a major controversy. During the court hearing of the accused in the case, shocking details have come to light. It was revealed that the accused allegedly deleted WhatsApp chats related to drug transactions. The court has granted two days of police custody to enable recovery of deleted data and to trace the drug supply network.
While presenting the defence, advocate Surendra Landge, representing accused Anand Patel, argued that the allegations made by Pratik Pandey about supplying drugs to Patel are “completely false.” On the other hand, the police had sought seven days of custody, stating the seriousness of the offence. The prosecution argued that it is crucial to investigate the source of the drugs and identify those involved in their distribution. They also informed the court that the accused had deleted their WhatsApp conversations, which need to be retrieved through technical analysis.
Meanwhile, lawyers representing NESCO and the event organisers stated that such concerts are regularly organised, and in large gatherings of thousands, it is difficult to track if individuals secretly carry prohibited substances. However, questions are now being raised about whether adequate security measures were in place at the venue.
The incident has created panic among ‘ravers’ who attended the concert. Following the overdose deaths, many youths fear police scrutiny and questioning. Several attendees are reportedly distressed and have sought psychological counselling. With examinations underway, many are worried about explaining the situation to their families and dealing with potential legal complications.
Apart from the drug-related incident, reports have also emerged of organised mobile theft during the concert. At least six high-end iPhones were allegedly stolen, including those belonging to four young men and two women. Thieves reportedly took advantage of the crowd to carry out the thefts.
The event was organised by Nagpur-based ‘Inspiring Tie Production’ in association with NESCO. So far, NESCO officials Sunny Jain and Balakrishnan Kurup, along with organiser Akash Samal, have been arrested. Police have also detained another suspect linked to the drug supply chain, and further investigation is underway.
More crucial leads are expected to emerge during the ongoing two-day police custody of the accused.