SHIVAMOGGA: The home minister’s office has asked the police to file a report about an alleged rave party held at a homestay near the Agumbe rainforest this month. Wildlife activists have also urged the government not to permit such events as loud music and laser lights pose a threat to animal life in the region, a UNESCO world heritage site nestled in the Western Ghats.
The minister’s action follows a complaint by G R Sathyamurthy, an under-secretary in the Legislative Assembly Secretariat, alleging that about 200 people partied late into the night at village Guddekeri, dancing in psychedelic lights to music played on DJ sound systems on November 17 and 18.
The revellers and the homestay owner, Jayaram Hegde, threatened him when he objected, Sathyamurthy said. “Scores of couples had gathered and over 150 tents were erected. It was a rave party atmosphere,” he told The New Indian Express.
Hegde’s son Shashank, however, attributed the allegations to “personal grudge,” saying that it was a cultural festival and there was no rave party.
The police have registered a case against Hegde. Deputy Commissioner K A Dayanand said action will be initiated if norms were flouted. “We permitted the programme after imposing certain conditions. Action will be taken if the conditions are found violated,” he said.
Sathyamurthy was on a vacation to his village Guddekeri, when the alleged party was held. On November 17, he found over 200 people screaming close to a home-stay where an event was organised and a DJ sound system was used. When he called up the home-stays owner Jayaram Hegde, the latter allegedly threatened him, saying that he would not lower the music volume. At 2 am on November 18, unidentified people pelted stones at his house, Sathyamurthy says in his complainant, urging the police not to allow such programmes.
Police is probing, Police Superintendent Abhinav Khare said.
A police officer said permission was given for an ‘art and music festival.’ The organisers obtained an excise permit for liquor worth `11,000, and police was deployed.
Wildlife conservation activist G Veeresh said Agumbe rainforest is home to many species of flora and fauna, and a rainforest research station. “It’s an ecologically sensitive area. Such programmes will disturb animals. Hence, no such permission should be given,” he said.
Deputy Conservator of Forests Anthony S Mariyappa said the incident happened 3km away from the forest, but such activities still disturb wild animals. “The forest department has no regulation over home-stays and other activities. I suggest that the opinion of the forest department should be taken before permitting such programmes,” he said.
Denying the allegations, home-stay owner Jayaram Hegde’s son Shashank Hegde said, “We introduced the
visitors to Malnad culture and wildlife. Local people took part too. Our home-stay has been promoting local culture for past seven years.”