Bengaluru Police bust rave party at farmhouse; 31 including IT professionals arrested

In a pre-dawn crackdown on Sunday, Bengaluru Police arrested 31 individuals during a raid on an alleged drug-fuelled party at a private farmhouse near Kannamangala Gate in Devanahalli. The operation, carried out around 5 am following a local tip-off, uncovered the use and possession of multiple narcotic substances, including cocaine, hashish and hydro-ganja.

Police officials confirmed that the gathering was originally organised as a birthday celebration but quickly turned into what appeared to be a full-blown rave. Among those detained were seven women, including a Chinese national and several working professionals from the city’s booming IT sector, PTI reported.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (North East Zone) V J Sajeeth was quoted by HT as speaking to PTI: “Preliminary investigations suggest that 31 people were present at the party. Small quantities of cocaine, hashish and hydro ganja, a narcotic substance, were recovered during the raid.” Samples of blood and urine from all attendees have been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) to verify drug consumption.

The event was reportedly organised to celebrate the 26th birthday of one Mazar Sharif, a private firm employee from Banaswadi. The farmhouse, located in Kannamangala village in Bengaluru rural district, had been rented out to him by its owner, Syed Asad, who was also booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

According to police sources cited by The Indian Express, the party began late Saturday night and was brought to an abrupt end in the early hours of Sunday by officers from the Devanahalli police station, under the supervision of ACP Naveen. The raid was prompted by complaints from local residents about suspicious activity in the area.

During the search, police seized three grams of cocaine, five grams of hydro-ganja, 60 grams of hashish and a small quantity of regular ganja. Authorities confirmed the presence of at least one drug peddler at the venue. Four of the accused found with drugs were produced before a court and remanded to 14 days of judicial custody. The remaining 27 were released on station bail after questioning, as per The Indian Express.

DCP Sajeeth told The Indian Express that cases have been registered against all those involved under the NDPS Act, including the individual who rented out the farmhouse. He also said that more arrests could follow as investigations into the drug supply network continue.

This latest bust comes as Bengaluru police intensify their crackdown on narcotics across the city. In recent months, the Central Crime Branch (CCB) has conducted multiple operations targeting drug trafficking networks.

Notably, in February, a drug peddler from Kerala was arrested near DJ Halli with 523 grams of MDMA crystals, worth approximately Rs 55 lakh, according to ANI. In another case, a security guard was caught with 3.2 kilograms of narcotics valued at around Rs 2.5 lakh.