A team of 50 policemen, led by Tirthahalli Deputy Superintendent of Police Gajanana Vamana Sutara, raided a resort near Tirthahalli on Saturday and seized antlers, a double-barrel gun, live bullets, and liquor bottles among other items.
The team included police inspector Ashwath Gowda, sub-inspectors Sagar Attaraval, Naveen Kumar Mathpathi, Ranganath Antaragatti, Praveen Kumar, and support staff, according to a press release released by the district police.
When The Hindu contacted Kaneena Kadidal, owner of Vihangama Holiday Resort, he said he was not at the resort when it was raided and that his manager updated him about the incident.
“The police reached the resort and wanted to check inside if there was any rave party. I told my staff to cooperate with the police. They went around the resort, and all the rooms were booked. There was no party. We were not even playing music,” he said.
Upon finding that there was no party, the police, on the way back, entered the farmhouse of the resort owner.
“They entered my ancestral home and found horns and trophies displayed on walls. It is a common sight in many Malnad houses. They seized my licensed gun and the bullets. They also seized liquor bottles that family members had procured during our foreign visits. The police broke open the wardrobes to seize these items. Besides, the police snatched liquor bottles that our guests had privately procured. They were having alcohol in their rooms privately, not in a public place,” he said.
Mr. Kadidal said he had been running the resort for the last 24 years. Many senior officers, including police officers, visited his resort many times. “I tried to contact senior officers in the district over the phone to know the purpose behind the raid. But there was no response. We never conduct rave parties at our place,” he said.
