Rajkot, Gujarat : Questions are being raised regarding the police response to a high-profile liquor party held at the Sarazha Hotel in Rajkot, Gujarat.

Allegations have emerged that efforts are being made to protect the primary accused; notably, the surname of a BJP MLA’s brother was changed in the First Information Report (FIR). Women attending the party who had arrived wearing black gowns were seen covering their faces with yellow table covers as they exited following a police raid.

Late Saturday night, the Local Crime Branch, in coordination with the Rajkot City Police, conducted a raid at the Sarazha Hotel, located on Kalawad Road in Rajkot. Acting on information about a high-profile liquor party, the police discovered bottles of expensive alcohol and a hookah setup at the venue.

The police registered a case against 76 individuals, including 33 women, and conducted medical examinations at a government hospital later that night. Among those present were 30 couples; the women had arrived in black gowns, and many were observed consuming alcohol. Following the police raid, the women covered their faces with yellow table covers while leaving the premises.

The police raid has become a major topic of discussion across the state. However, concerns are now being raised regarding the handling of the case—specifically, the alleged facilitation of the party’s organizer, builder Chirag Patel, to exit through the back door of the police station, and the alteration of the surname of Manish Varmora brother of BJP MLA Prakash Varmora to “Manish Patel” in the official police report.

Rakesh Desai, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) for Zone 2, briefed journalists on the police action. However, when reporters questioned why the influential organizer, builder Chirag Patel, appeared to be shielded, and why hotel staff were named as accused instead, the police forced the media personnel to leave the police station.

Several videos are currently circulating on social media showing police personnel pushing and removing journalists and cameramen from the scene. This is not the first instance of a liquor party in Rajkot, but the actions taken by the Rajkot city police and the Local Crime Branch have become a major topic of discussion.

Given that the men and women involved in the party have high-level connections, there are indications that the police may be attempting to downplay or cover up the matter. The fact that the party’s organizer, Chirag Patel, was allowed to exit the police station through a back door, and that the surname of a BJP MLA’s brother was altered in the First Information Report (FIR), has raised several questions regarding the police’s conduct.

Although the police have made public the names of over six dozen individuals including 33 women who attended this high-profile party, the sequence of events arresting the participants during the raid and subsequently letting them leave through a back door has become a source of trouble for the police, as such leniency is never extended to the common citizen.

Report : Abhijit Tushar Bhatt (Political Editor)