One held, case filed against 50 for creating ruckus at concert in Kozhikode

The police say organisers violated rules and held a night concert while they had only permission for holding small cultural shows. Moreover, they sold tickets online at Rs 150 per person and advertised on social media. As it was a Sunday, a huge crowd arrived and created a ruckus.

Kozhikode (Kerala): The Kerala police filed a case against 50 persons and arrested one of them for allegedly attacking the police personnel during a concert held at a beach in Kozhikode on Sunday night. The crowd created a ruckus after they were denied entry to the concert, which the police claimed, was illegally held.

The organisers were stated to have permission only for staging small cultural shows to raise funds as part of a charity event for those who need wheelchairs. But, they went on to sell tickets online for a concert and advertised the event on social media platforms. As a result, many people bought tickets online and arrived at the spot. As it was a Sunday, more crowds came over to the venue to buy tickets manually to gain entry to the concert. When it led to overcrowding, the organisers stopped giving tickets. This led to the crowd turning restive and creating chaos there.

The police said that due to the disturbance there, the barricades around the concert site fell apart and the event was disrupted. As a result, the police asked the organisers to stop the concert. It further infuriated the already restless crowd. A fracas ensued and some among the crowd started pelting stones and beer bottles at the police personnel there, said a senior officer of the Vellayil police station.

Six policemen and more than 30 members of the general public were reportedly injured in the incident. An additional force had to be called in to control the situation. The officer said that a case has been filed against 50 persons for assaulting police personnel. They were also accused of preventing the police from discharging their duties. One of them has been arrested.

Besides that, another case was registered against the event organisers JDT College Palliative Care here on the charges of conducting the concert without providing adequate facilities. The organisers did not comply with the guidelines given to them when the permission was granted to them, the police said.

The organisers were only permitted to erect stalls and stage some small cultural shows by students at the beach as part of their charity event. However, they went on to hold a concert and advertised the same via social media platforms and also sold tickets online at Rs 150 per person, police sources said.