The police cracked down on a high-profile party at a bungalow at Khandala at dawn on Wednesday and arrested 40 persons, including 22 Mumbai-based Customs officers and 10 dance bar girls.
Inspector Sudam Darekar, who led the raid, said 10 of the Customs officers are superintendents while the others are Inspectors — all posted at the Sahar International Airport.
The other eight who have been arrested are four men from Mumbai who are believed to have organised the party, the caretaker of the bungalow, a driver and two men who were playing the music system. The police seized 35 cellphones, eight cars, foreign liquor, a laptop, VCDs, a music system and Rs 55,000 in cash.
According to officials, the Customs officials drove to the bungalow in Taj Cottage, Khandala, after completing their shift on Tuesday. Their plan was to rejoin work at 8 am on Wednesday. They were carrying their uniforms.
The party started sometime in the evening. On getting a tip-off, the police raided the place around midnight.
Darekar said most of the officers and girls were drunk and dancing nude. An adult video was playing on a laptop. Currency notes lay scattered on the floor. “It is suspicious that so many senior Customs officers were partying at the same spot. We are investigating who was behind this party,” he said. “We are also trying to find out whether the dance girls were employed by some escort service.”
Police said a Mumbai-based person owns the bungalow. The party organisers had taken the bungalow on rent for a day.
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