The Manikaran valley in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu district is once again in the spotlight for the wrong reasons. The death of a young Russian woman who had come to perform at a rave party deep in the forests of Kasol has exposed the scale of drug-fuelled gatherings still running in the area. Police have confirmed that the deceased was a Russian national and that she died from a drug overdose.
Who She Was and How She Died
The woman has been identified as Dishalin, a 29-year-old Russian DJ artist. She had travelled to Kasol to play at a rave party held in the forest. After performing as a DJ, she took an excessive dose of drugs, her condition deteriorated, and she was found dead in her hotel room. The incident took place two days ago.
According to SP Kullu Madan Lal Kaushal, police took the body into custody and informed her family. The post-mortem was carried out only after relatives arrived. The report made it clear that her death was caused by a drug overdose. Following this, police registered two separate cases linked to the Kasol rave party.
The Rave Party Ran From June 7 to 11
According to information available, the rave party was held in the forests of Kasol from June 7 to 11. It was during and after her DJ set at this very party that the woman lost her life to an overdose. What is alarming is that such parties are taking place openly, right under the nose of the police and administration, drawing thousands of domestic and foreign tourists. They are aggressively promoted and booked through social media and online sites.
High Court Ban Proves Ineffective
Strikingly, despite a ban imposed by the High Court, the run of rave parties in the forests of the Manikaran valley shows no sign of stopping. These gatherings in the Kasol forests are marked by open obscenity and rampant drug use, posing a serious challenge to the administration.
A Network Growing Year After Year
The prevalence of rave parties in the Manikaran valley has been rising year after year. The entire network behind these events is reportedly run out of Israel and Bengaluru. On top of this, the noise pollution from the DJ loudspeakers set up in the forests is causing large-scale damage to the local environment.
Road Accident in the Same Area Kills Two Tourists
Meanwhile, another tragedy has emerged from Kullu district. On Friday, a vehicle plunged into a deep gorge near Sarsari on the Manikaran-Bhuntar road, killing two tourists from Punjab on the spot, while three others were seriously injured. Superintendent of Police Madan Lal said the vehicle was travelling from Manikaran towards Bhuntar when the accident occurred. A case has been registered under the relevant sections and an investigation is under way. The seriously injured have been shifted to the medical college in Nerchowk in Mandi district, while one woman is being treated at the Kullu hospital.
