The petitioner in an ongoing public interest litigation (PIL) concerning alleged illegal rave parties in Kasol, Jibhi and Manali has sought police protection and a high-level inquiry, claiming that he has been receiving repeated threats following recent developments in the case.
Abhishek Rai, the petitioner in CWPIL No. 53 of 2025 pending before the Himachal Pradesh High Court, has submitted a fresh representation to the Chief Secretary, the Director General of Police and other senior government authorities, alleging that a woman has been threatening him through phone calls, WhatsApp messages and verbal communication.
According to Rai, the alleged threats began after the High Court’s June 24 order transferring the Kullu Deputy Commissioner, Superintendent of Police and Sub-Divisional Magistrate. While ordering the transfers, the court had observed that the officers had failed to maintain public order and instead facilitated the organisation of large-scale rave parties in the Parbati valley of Kullu district.
In his representation, Rai alleged that the woman warned him of false criminal cases and claimed to have close links with influential political and administrative circles. He further alleged that during the conversations she invoked the names of political leaders, senior government officials, a former Superintendent of Police and the owner of a private resort while issuing the threats. These allegations have not been independently verified and no official response has yet been issued by the authorities concerned.
The petitioner has requested the government to conduct a detailed inquiry into the alleged intimidation, including an examination of the woman’s call records to ascertain whether she has any links with influential persons or criminal networks.
He has further contended that the alleged threats amount to an indirect attempt to interfere with judicial proceedings, as the PIL concerning alleged illegal rave parties and drug-related activities in tourist destinations of Kullu district is still pending before the High Court.
Rai has also sought security for himself and members of his organisation, claiming that their involvement in pursuing the case has exposed them to potential danger. He has appealed to the government to protect them from any alleged attempt to falsely implicate them in criminal cases.
The Office of the Chief Secretary has forwarded Rai’s representation to the Director General of Police, the Superintendent of Police, Kullu, and the Home Department for information and necessary action. The forwarding communication, however, does not express any opinion on the merits of the allegations.
In his latest representation, Rai has further claimed that on July 9 he was compelled to withdraw an earlier complaint under pressure from a senior district official. Despite withdrawing it, he maintained that he continues to fear false criminal cases and urged the authorities not to ignore the alleged threats, particularly as the matter remains sub judice before the High Court.
The next hearing in CWPIL No. 53 of 2025 is scheduled for August 6. As of now, neither the police nor the state government has issued an official response to the specific allegations made by the petitioner.