Man held after viral vodka ‘chuski’ party in Chandigarh

Chandigarh Police have arrested a man after a video showing liquor being openly served outside a liquor vend in the city’s upscale Sector-9 market surfaced on social media and triggered widespread criticism.

The accused, identified as Rajesh Sachdeva, was booked by Sector-3 police station for allegedly organising a promotional event in which alcohol was openly distributed to the public to market a new liquor brand.

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According to police, the event involved setting up a stall outside a liquor vend where people were allegedly served vodka mixed in flavoured ice slush, commonly known as “chuski”, free of cost. The video, which quickly went viral online, showed a large crowd gathered around the stall, with several people seen consuming the vodka-infused ice treat.

Officials said the promotional clip was allegedly uploaded on Instagram by the liquor contractor himself. However, the video was later deleted after controversy erupted, though by then it had already circulated widely across social media platforms.

The incident reportedly continued for several hours without any immediate intervention from the authorities. The location of the event has also raised questions, as the Sector-9 market is situated barely a few hundred metres away from key government establishments, including the Chandigarh Police Headquarters, the office of Chandigarh Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria, and the offices of the DGP and SSP.

Police action came only after the video gained traction online and the matter drew media attention. An FIR was subsequently registered against the accused, following which he was taken into custody.

Authorities said the event was organised to promote a newly launched liquor brand and attracted a large number of youngsters. The viral video sparked criticism on social media, with users questioning possible violations of excise norms and the open serving of alcohol in a public place.

Police said further investigation is underway to determine whether liquor bottles were also distributed during the event or whether alcohol was served only through the flavoured ice drinks.