Viral video shows public celebration for drug peddler's release from jail; 45 booked

A video of a public celebration to welcome the release of an accused in a drugs case in Maharashtra's Thane district surfaced on social media, prompting the police to register a case of unlawful assembly, an official said on Sunday.

The Mira-Bhayandar Vasai-Virar (MBVV) Police on Saturday registered a case against 45 persons under Sections 189 (unlawful assembly) and other relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Maharashtra Police Act, the official said.

He said Kamran Mohammad Khan, a drug peddler arrested under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, was recently released on bail.

The official said to welcome his release, Kamran's former jail associates and 35 others assembled near the Thane Central Jail on the night of July 16, and from there, they travelled in a convoy of cars to Nayanagar in Mira Road, where they gathered near a hotel and burst firecrackers and raised slogans.

"The group also played loud music and created an atmosphere of fear and public disturbance," he said.

A video of the public celebration surfaced on social media.

"The video clips were circulated widely online, and the complainant, an officer of the police station, took note of the footage, in which the group was seen flouting prohibitory orders that were in force at the time," the official added.

According to the police, nine out of 45 accused have been identified by name in the FIR, and efforts are on to verify the identities of the remaining individuals.