Over 26 booked after alleged obscene dance at Green Farm in Pachgaon area

Pachgaon police in Nagpur Rural have booked more than 26 people in connection with an alleged obscene dance held at Green Farm in the Champa Shivar area, which falls under the Umred sub-division of Nagpur district. The owner, the manager and the caretaker of the farm are among those named. Four of the accused are women.

Police say a tip-off reached them that men and women were dancing with obscene gestures at a programme on the farm on October 8 and 9. Officers went to the spot to check the claim and began an inquiry. They went through CCTV recordings from both days. According to police, the footage shows some men and women dancing to music while making obscene gestures. Cases were registered against the people identified in this exercise.

The farm's owner is Ramlu Kondya Sultan (70), who lives at Green Lawn near the Tighori toll tax, Nagpur. The manager, Arif Anwar Khan (40), is a resident of Ashirwad Nagar, Nagpur. The caretaker, Arif Suleman Shaikh (42), comes from Gosebudu (also spelt Gosebudruk) in Pauni tehsil of Bhandara district.

The remaining accused are from a wide spread of places: Gadchiroli, Balaghat, Akola, Bhadravati, Wardha, Nagpur, Kamptee, Gondia and Chandrapur. The booking of so many people has set off talk in the rural Nagpur area.

Police seized goods worth Rs 64,100 during the action. A detailed list of the seized items has not been made available, and police have said that this is the amount recovered, with no larger sum mentioned in their information.

The case has been registered under the Maharashtra law that bans obscene dances in hotels, restaurants and bar rooms and protects the dignity of women working in them. The action was reportedly taken on the instructions of Nagpur Rural Superintendent of Police Harsh Poddar. No detailed statement from a senior officer has been issued on the matter so far.

Pachgaon police are investigating and are searching for the accused who have not yet been traced. They are also looking into how the programme was organised, what part each of the accused played, whether anyone else was involved, and the conditions on which permission for the event was given. Police say that continuous action is being taken across Nagpur Rural to maintain law and order and curb illegal activity.

Claims about earlier events at the farm, or about lakhs or crores of rupees being spent, have not been independently confirmed. All those named are at present only accused. Their guilt has not been proved, and the facts will become clear only after the investigation and court proceedings.