Rave party accused photos with Goa CM, Minister go viral

The arrest of Kapil Jhaveri, a small-time Bollywood actor and a director of a co-operative society, during a rave party at a North Goa beach village on Sunday, has become a cause of embarrassment for the ruling political establishment in Goa.

After photos of Jhaveri's meetings with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and state Co-operation Minister Govind Gaude went viral on social media on Monday, Gaude tweeted saying Jhaveri, who has been remanded to five days police custody, had met him after a formal appointment.

"My photo alongside Kapil Jhaveri is made viral with false info. He had sought an appointment to invite me for the inauguration of a branch of a Credit Society. As Minister of Co-operation, I refrain from any act of endorsement. I had refused the invitation on these grounds," Gaude tweeted.

The meeting, Gaude said, had occurred three months ago and had lasted for a few minutes.

Gaude told reporters that he was a "public figure" and many people come to meet him and there was no scope to examine everyone's background.

"I have spoken to the Chief Minister. He has informed me that the police have been given a free hand to investigate the case. It is my prime duty to co-operate with the police," Gaude said.

Jhaveri is a director of a multi-state co-operative society and has also acted in films like Salman Khan-starrer "Saawan - A season of love" (2006) and "Dil Pardesi Ho Gaya" (2003), among others.

Jhaveri is one of the 23 persons arrested by the Crime Branch of the Goa Police for participating in a 'by invite-only' rave party at the beach village of Anjuna in the early hours of Sunday. Drugs worth approximately Rs 9 lakh were also seized.