The NH7 Weekender music festival, that was to be held in Pune this weekend, was abruptly cancelled after the organisers were denied permission from the Pimpri-Chinchwad police. The much-anticipated gig was scheduled to take place on December 14-15 at Teerth Fields, Pune, with the organisers announcing that the gates would open for music enthusiasts at 2 pm. However, the sudden cancellation left thousands of visitors disappointed.

A senior IPS officer in Pimpri-Chinchwad police commissionerate told mid-day that the organisers of the festival were denied permission around two months ago when they had approached the police.  “In the past, there were no residential colonies nearby, so the permission for such events was not an issue. But since a lot of development has taken place in the recent years, residents face a lot of difficulties, including noise pollution and traffic snarls. That was the reason we had been denying them the permission,” the officer added.