Alcohol, hookahs, phones worth ₹2.3 crore: 25th anniversary bash in Ahmedabad busted, 82 detained

Police raided a villa on the outskirts of Ahmedabad city - where a 25th wedding anniversary celebration was underway – and arrested 43 men while detaining 38 women for consuming alcohol in the dry state on Thursday, news agency PTI reported. The police seized booze bottles, hookahs, cars and mobile phones collectively valued at ₹2.3 crore from the party held at the private villa.

“During the raid, police seized material valued at ₹2.3 crore, including 15 liquor bottles, 10 hookahs, 22 cars and 74 mobile phones,” Ahmedabad Rural Superintendent of Police (SP) Om Prakash Jat told PTI.

Acting on a tip-off, police raided the venue -- organised by a Mumbai-based man to celebrate the 25th wedding anniversary of his brother-in-law at Safal Nirvana Greens near Sanand - and detained 81 people, including doctors, business professionals and builders, NDTV reported.

The party had been set up like a lavish lounge, complete with a sprawling food counter and 11 separate tables offering cake, premium alcohol and hookahs. When police entered the party, panic broke out among the attendees, most of whom were aged between 35 and 45.

Blood samples from all those present have been forwarded to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) to check for traces of alcohol and narcotics. The SP said that if any sample tests positive for drugs, proceedings will also be initiated under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

Meanwhile, police have booked a case under the applicable provisions of the Gujarat Prohibition Act and begun an investigation.

After being carved out of the erstwhile Bombay state, Gujarat chose to continue with prohibition, while Maharashtra gradually relaxed its liquor policy from 1963 onwards.

The state’s approach to alcohol was deeply shaped by Mahatma Gandhi, who was born in Porbandar, Gujarat.

Gujarat’s ban made it one of India’s earliest “dry” states. Under the Gujarat Prohibition Act, the manufacture, sale, purchase and consumption of alcohol are prohibited, with violations attracting fines and imprisonment.

Over the years, the policy has drawn criticism for encouraging illegal liquor trade, bootlegging and significant revenue losses—running into billions of rupees annually—while not entirely eliminating alcohol consumption.

Despite these concerns, Gujarat has consistently upheld prohibition, and its stance has inspired other states, including Bihar, to adopt similar measures.