Two people, including a prominent businessman, were arrested after liquor cans were recovered from a vehicle near a hotel, where a huge party was held to celebrate his birthday, in Surat in the dry state of Gujarat earlier this week.
According to sources, the party at KS Avtaar Hotel in Althan was held to celebrate businessman Sameer Shah's birthday on Thursday. During the course of the celebration, Sameer's 19-year-old son began drinking alcohol with a few others inside a vehicle stationed near the premises.
As a team of policemen arrived at the spot following a tip-off, and tried to make a video of the alcohol consumption, the teenager got out of the vehicle and began misbehaving. A video of the incident, which has gone viral, shows the young man shoving and manhandling the policemen.
When the police managed to bring the teen under control, his father arrived at the spot to pacify them. He also allegedly threatened the cops with "connections at the top", the sources said.
Around this time, the sources added, two women arrived at the spot and requested the cops to let go of the teenager, saying "he is a child".
Police said nine cans of alcohol worth Rs 1,350, seven mobile phones and cash were recovered from the vehicle. The items and the car, which had an "L" sticker (indicating a learner's licence), have been seized, they added.
Speaking to NDTV, Zone 4 Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Nidhi Thakur said: "Two cases have been filed - one pertaining to the recovery of the alcohol from the vehicle and the other related to the assault on the cops. The man who supplied the liquor has been arrested. Sameer was also arrested after the delivery man said he acted at the behest of the businessman."
She added: "Sameer's son did not clear the breath analyser test. His blood and urine samples have been sent for medical examination. He faces the second case related to the assault on the cops. We are trying to see if a notice needs to be sent and if any arrest has to be made."
(With inputs from Mahendra Prasad in Gujarat)
