Coke is sniffed and snorted at private parties virtually every night in Mumbai and New Delhi. Most cocaine peddlers have their base in both these cities, said a senior official in the Delhi Police

"Marijuana and hashish are no longer in - coke (cocaine) is," says the son of a top Delhi exporter and a regular to such parties. "It is easily available in small quantities. Generally, one buys a pouch of two grams for a night and it could cost you anything between Rs.5,000 and Rs.15,000."

"A regular user can judge the quality by smelling it. The harder the substance, the less it costs you due to poor quality," he added.

"In farmhouses parties, coke is lined up in the form of white powdery lines on glass tables," an upcoming fashion designer who has been a regular to such parties told IANS requesting anonymity.

"There are basements, bed-rooms and special rooms where guests go for a snort. Many of them use a Rs.500-note as a funnel," she said.