M A I N   N E W S

Those arrested at Mumbai rave party let off
Shiv Kumar/TNS

Mumbai, May 21
The Mumbai police today let off all the persons it had detained from a rave party on Sunday evening after taking their blood and urine samples.

On Sunday, the police busted a rave party at a hotel and had landed up with a rich haul comprising two IPL players, several small-time actors, foreign cheerleaders and other professionals.

The police said early this morning that South African cricketer Wayne Parnell and Rahul Sharma - both representing the Pune Warriors team - were caught at the venue and taken into detention along with other revellers.

According to Additional Commissioner of Police Vishwas Nangre-Patil, 58 men and 38 women were present at the party.

Should any of the samples test positive for banned substances, the revellers would be arrested and charged with drug possession and consumption, Nangre-Patil said.

Police officials said the revellers hastily threw out several packets containing cocaine and other drugs as soon as the raiding party entered the premises. So, no one was caught with drugs in his or her possession, sources said.

Both IPL players involved have denied that they were participating at the rave party. "I and Rahul were invited to someone's birthday. We got there about 5 pm and by 7 pm, the police officers were there. Obviously, once we were inside we got caught indoors. It was a simple case of being at a wrong place at the wrong time," Parnell told reporters here.

The police arrested Vishesh Handa, organiser of the party, under the NDPS Act.

wrong place at wrong time?