Ahmedabad: Event promoter booked for Rs 4.8cr fraud over Navratri sponsorships

Ahmedabad: An event management entrepreneur on Saturday filed a cheating complaint with Sarkhej police alleging that a city-based promoter caused him losses of Rs 4.8 crore by failing to secure promised sponsorships for a Navratri event and by allegedly retaining proceeds from VIP passes and tickets.

The complaint was lodged on Sunday by Arjun Bhutia, 36, a resident of Bopal who runs an event management firm.

According to the FIR, Bhutia came into contact with the accused, a resident of the Zydus Hospital Road area, in Sep 2025 ahead of the Navratri season. The accused allegedly presented himself as an organiser with experience in holding large-scale events and expressed interest in associating with Bhutia’s upcoming Navratri festival, “Norata Nagari”, planned at Gopal Farm on the SP Ring Road.

Bhutia alleged that the accused assured him he would arrange sponsorships worth Rs 3.3 crore for the 10-day event. Based on this assurance, the complainant agreed to include him in the project and proceeded with preparations for the festival.

The event, which featured noted singers and extensive arrangements for visitors, allegedly involved an expenditure of around Rs 12 crore. The organiser claimed that as part of their understanding, the accused was allotted VIP passes and tickets worth Rs 1.5 crore for distribution and monetisation.

However, after the event concluded, the promised sponsorships allegedly did not materialise. Bhutia claimed that repeated requests for the sponsorship amount as well as the value of the VIP passes and tickets yielded no results.

According to the complaint, the accused sought time until Dec 2025 to settle the dues. When Bhutia later pursued payment, the accused allegedly began avoiding calls and meetings.

The complainant further alleged that during a meeting in April this year, the accused refused to pay the amount and threatened him with serious consequences if he continued to demand the money. Bhutia also claimed that he was intimidated by the accused’s alleged criminal background.

The FIR alleges that the accused caused a loss of Rs 4.8 crore, comprising the promised sponsorship amount of Rs 3.3 crore and VIP passes and tickets valued at Rs 1.5 crore.

Sarkhej police have registered a case of cheating, criminal breach of trust, and criminal intimidation and initiated an investigation into the allegations. Further probe is underway.