Mumbai: Youth's death at concert sparks protest, ban on Sunburn sought

Following a youth's death at a Worli concert, Nasha Virodhi Sangharsh Abhiyan protested in Mumbai, demanding a culpable homicide FIR against Sunburn organisers and a permanent ban on the festival, citing a growing drug menace in Maharashtra.

Protest Against 'Drug Menace'

Nasha Virodhi Sangharsh Abhiyan staged a protest outside Dadar Railway Station on Thursday, demanding that an FIR for culpable homicide be registered against the organisers of the Sunburn festival and officials who allegedly gave them protection, and that the festival be permanently banned in Maharashtra.

The protest came after a youth died and a girl fainted at a high-profile 'Outworld' music concert held at the NSCI Dome in Worli. The campaign said the incident highlighted the growing drug menace in the state, following earlier deaths at a concert in Nesco, Goregaon, and the controversial Sunburn festival in Sewri, according to a release.

Allegations Against Organisers and Police

According to campaign leader Dhanashree Kelshikar, the main organisers of both the Sewri and Worli events were Sunburn Festival, along with local partners Star Stage Events and E Venture X. She alleged that the Worli event was initially denied permission by police on law-and-order grounds but was later allowed after "pressure from higher levels."

"Despite a black history of multiple youth deaths due to excessive drug use at Sunburn festivals in Goa, and written objections submitted for years by Hindu Janajagruti Samiti and other organisations, these 'death parties' were deliberately allowed in Goregaon and Worli for money," said Kelshikar while addressing the protest. "Police and the administration will now have to answer why," he added.

Protesters, including youth, nationalist citizens, and representatives of various Hindutva organisations, said the administration's negligence had cost innocent lives. They argued that by allowing such events, the state was pushing its youth toward drug abuse and risking Maharashtra becoming "Udta Maharashtra" like Punjab.

Demands for Accountability

As per the release, the campaign also questioned how such events were permitted at the NSCI Dome in Worli, a property of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. "What action will the government take against the contractors and management to whom the dome was rented out?" they asked.

The protesters demanded that an FIR for culpable homicide be registered against Sunburn organisers and the responsible administrative officials, and that all events promoting "Western drug culture and obscene parties" on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's land be shut down immediately by the government, the release stated.

"Our struggle will not stop until cases are registered against Sunburn, whose hands are stained with the blood of youth, and against the guilty officials," Kelshikar said. (ANI)

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