inthemix | International News | Indian rave raid branded overzealous

25 tourists attending a ‘rave party’ outside Pushkar were arrested and effectively deported recently after cops seized beer, wine and contraceptives. The Times Of India criticised the raid and suggested it may have been prompted by rivalries between hotels and the party promoters and noted that the police action meant the tourists’ holidays ‘had turned into a nightmare.’

However, local police chief SP Anand Shrivastav was unsympathetic, accusing the foreigners, 25 of whom were women, of being drunk and found in ‘compromising positions’. “They were taken to Pushkar police station and their passports have been seized. We’ve asked the home ministry to deport them to their countries,” Meena told the Times. “When the team reached the spot around 3am, the party was in full swing. Most of them tried to run away when they saw us,” he added.

In more India news, government officials banned smoking in all public places this week, outlawing tobacco in clubs, bars, restaurants, hotels, bus shelters, discos and airports. Goa police also announced new regulations for beach shack owners tightening restrictions on alcohol sales, music and cannabis smoking at the beachside bars. The crackdown followed the still unsolved murder of 15 year old Brit girl Scarlett Eden Keeling who was raped and killed on Anjuna Beach last year. Prime suspect Samson D’Souza, 29, was released on bail after 7 months on remand this week and insisted he was tortured into confessing by cops.

“To get the confession out of me they initially beat me with their fists,” he told reporters. “Then they used plastic rods to beat my feet. When that didn’t work they used electric shock diodes on my head and body until I said I would confess to anything they wanted. But I am totally innocent,” he said (Daily Mail).