AUGUSTO RODRIGUES
VAGATOR: The arrest of two disc jockeys (DJs) in 13 months by the Anti Narcotic Cell (ANC) of Goa Police circles the role of party facilitators in the sale of narcotics.
“We arrested two DJs and among them, one had stopped playing since the pandemic, while the lady claimed to play for small parties whilst she consumed drugs,” confided ANC SP Tikam Singh Verma, adding, “We are at the initial stage of the investigation and can’t categorically state that there exists a nexus between DJs and parties, though it cannot be ruled out. Time will tell.”
Verma admitted that the GHB drug seized from the Russian DJ “is popular with club-goers and at rave parties.”
“We went to some party spots last Saturday and did random checks and also called for a meeting of owners of nightclubs and sensitized them on the topic,” disclosed Verma.
“Stopping clubs playing music beyond 10 pm is not in our domain. But, we will start informing the relevant people if we reach a spot where loud music is played after 10 pm,” he assured.
“I gathered from people who organise parties that some DJs pay to play. And when I asked them why would they pay, some confided that the occasion was used to sell drugs,” revealed Rajesh Sinary, who won a petition against loud music at the Goa Bench of the Bombay High Court.
“Drugs started replacing alcohol at the time the late Goa Gil introduced trance music. I am not implying that all DJs are aware of what is going on when they are playing, but most know what goes on,” said Sinary who partied in the past.
“No entry fees were charged till around nineties. They started ticketing after the millennium. Initially, painted trees and a few ribbons were part of the décor. The dollars paid by DJs to play were spent towards the police, sound and generator,” recollects Roysal D’souza from Anjuna.
“There was no ban on playing music after 10 pm then and once it came, parties stopped at 10 sharp. Now with the police closing their ears and music heard till morning, and sometimes the whole day, it is obvious dirty money is paying for this extravaganza,” alleged D’souza.
The involvement of DJs with drugs becomes clearer in the recollection of Jude Pereira, a resident of Mumbai. “Once, a friend of mine called asking me to accommodate a DJ friend of his going to France for a few hours before his flight, which I did.”
“Before leaving for the airport, I realised he was swallowing what he claimed was hash. It was then that alarm bells started ringing,” recounts Pereira who never let go an opportunity to party during his youth.
It was the arrest of two Goans by the Hyderabad Narcotics Enforcement Wing H(NEW) that turned the eyeball towards nightclubs and rave parties in Goa.
“Some party organisers may not be directly selling drugs but there was enough evidence to prove that they were abettors and that was enough to nab them,” disclosed an official from H (New) on condition of anonymity.
“Do you think the law would allow us to keep an innocent in jail for a month?” he asked.