Thaindian News

Panaji, Jan 6 (IANS) Though the possibility of drugs being sold at the world-famous Sunburn music festival here last month is still being investigated by police, state Home Minister Ravi Naik Wednesday gave a clean chit to the organisers.
“There were no drugs sold at the Sunburn festival. When people get whiskey, beer, brandy there, what use is drugs? Why will they take drugs there?” was Naik’s rationale for why drugs ‘could not’ be sold at the music festival. The festival was endorsed by renowned MTV veejay Nikhil Chinappa. Thousands of music buffs and several celebrities from the fields of sports, films and fashion attended the event.

Naik attacked Leader of the Opposition Manohar Parrikar for alleging that he was sheltering the drug trade in the state. “Parrikar does not know what he is talking about. I don’t know if he is mentally ill. There are no drugs in Goa. We are keeping a sharp eye. We have caught nearly Rs.1 crore worth of drugs in the state in one year, which is proof that we are working hard,” the minister said.

When questioned about the death of 23-year-old Meha Bahuguna from Delhi due to suspected drug overdose at the venue, Naik suggested that she could have taken some medicines which could have led to her death. “The forensic report has not come yet. Then we will see. It could be medicines also,” Naik said.

Director General of Police Bhimsain Bassi has however said that police were investigating the availability of drugs at the music festival.

“We have received the CCTV footage from the organisers and are in the process of examining it,” Bassi said.

Billed as Asia’s biggest music festival, Sunburn Goa 2009 was held in the last week of December, the peak of Goa’s tourist season.