AHMEDABAD: An Ahmedabad-based event management company has alleged that unidentified persons misused its name, website details and branding to sell fake tickets for its popular ‘Anant Brahmand’ Garba event, cheating prospective attendees and damaging the company’s reputation. The company has lodged a written complaint with the police, seeking action against those allegedly involved in the fraudulent online ticket sales.
According to the complaint, the complainant, Himmat Patel, has been working as a manager with Ahmedabad Experience Exchange for the past 22 years. The company operates from Shilp Shivalik on Sindhu Bhavan Road in Ahmedabad’s Bodakdev area and is involved in organising events, including Navratri Garba programmes under the ‘Anant’ brand.
“An Instagram account was offering passes to Ahmedabad’s popular Garba events at half price and allegedly duping people by selling fake passes. So far, four to five people in Ahmedabad have fallen victim to the scam. Preliminary information suggests that the accused is currently operating from outside Gujarat,” said Ahmedabad Cyber Crime DCP Dr Lavina Sinha.
The company organised its ‘Anant Brahmand’ Garba event during Navratri on October 14, 2026. Tickets for the event, priced between Rs 4,000 and Rs 10,000, were sold online through the company’s official website, anantgarba.com.
The complainant stated that the company had specifically warned customers against purchasing tickets from unauthorised individuals and had directed them to use only its official website and official Instagram account.
However, the complainant alleged that fraudsters misused the company’s name and online identity to sell tickets to unsuspecting customers.
The complaint recounts an incident on October 12, when a person using the name ‘Om Sol…’ allegedly contacted the company through its Instagram account. The person reportedly informed the company that an individual operating an Instagram account under the handle veer.rajiputtt was offering passes for the Garba event.
The complainant subsequently contacted the individual and was informed that an ‘Anant Brahmand’ Garba ticket had been purchased for Rs 3,100. When the complainant sought to verify the ticket’s authenticity, the matter was brought to the attention of the company’s proprietor.
According to the complaint, the company examined the ticket’s QR code and related booking details. The verification allegedly revealed discrepancies that raised suspicions that the ticket had been generated or sold fraudulently. The complainant further alleged that the fraudster had used the company’s name and an email address resembling its identity to make the transaction appear genuine.
The complaint also refers to WhatsApp communications with another customer, identified as an existing customer of the company. The customer reportedly shared screenshots of a conversation involving a person who allegedly offered Garba passes for sale.
The complainant alleged that these communications indicated that unauthorised persons were using the company’s name to sell tickets outside its official booking system. He maintained that the company had not authorised the individuals concerned to sell its tickets through personal Instagram accounts or other unofficial channels.
The complaint further alleges that the unauthorised sale of tickets in the company’s name had caused confusion among customers and threatened its reputation.
The company has sought police intervention to identify those responsible and take appropriate legal action.
