*Headline: Cyberabad Police Clarifies: No Permission Granted for Sunburn Music Festival on New Year’s Eve* Hyderabad, Dec 25: The Cyberabad Police issued a clarification on Monday, stating that there is no official permission for the Sunburn music festival on New Year’s eve, even as online ticket sales for the event continued.
The clarification comes a day after Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy directed Cyberabad Police Commissioner Avinash Mohanty to investigate the alleged sale of tickets by the BookMyShow portal for the Sunburn music festival. Commissioner Mohanty clarified that the police have not granted permission for the event, despite organizers applying for it.
He emphasized that the Sunburn event in Hyderabad is distinct from those held in other cities. Preparations for the event were underway near HITEC City, the information technology hub in Madhapur, under the jurisdiction of the Cyberabad Police Commissionerate.
Despite the Commissioner’s statement that permission was not granted, tickets for the event on the night of December 31 were still available for purchase on BookMyShow. Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, in a conference with district collectors and SPs on Sunday, directed the Police Commissioner to investigate the ticket sales.
When informed that no permission had been granted, he emphasized the need to scrutinize the ticket sales further. Reddy highlighted that states like Goa, Maharashtra, and Karnataka had canceled Sunburn events. He used this information to instruct officials to crack down on the drug menace, especially during New Year’s eve parties, urging a vigilant stance to prevent drug consumption.
The Chief Minister insisted that events on New Year’s eve should not be seen as revenue earners, as he believes such gatherings contribute to the spread of a destructive culture that harms the youth’s careers. Reddy directed officials to ensure that individuals below 18 years are not allowed at such events.
Additionally, those under 21 years old should not be served alcohol. Reiterating his commitment to making Telangana drug-free, he urged officials to take strict action against establishments promoting drug use. “We saw how Punjab collapsed due to the drug menace, and Telangana state is moving fast in that direction,” he cautioned, emphasizing the police’s responsibility to curb the menace.
