Ahmedabad cyber crime police have arrested two men from Rajasthan for allegedly selling counterfeit Garba passes online using the names and logos of 25 well-known event organisers, targeting people looking to attend Navratri celebrations in Ahmedabad and other locations.
The arrests followed a complaint that fake passes were being advertised through an Instagram account named ‘Veer Rajput’. According to the police investigation reported by Divya Bhaskar, the account offered Garba passes at discounted prices and used branding associated with established organisers to create trust among potential buyers.
The arrested men have been identified as Virendra Singh Bhanwar Singh Rajput, 21, a resident of Balaji Nagar in Jodhpur, and Kishan Singh Laxman Singh Rathod, 22, from Kherabgodia village in Dechu taluka of Phalodi district. The report said both men were operating the Instagram account used to promote and sell the alleged counterfeit passes.
Police said their preliminary questioning indicated that the accused had misused the names of 25 known Garba events held in Ahmedabad and other places. They allegedly created email addresses resembling those of event organisers and used them to make buyers believe that the passes were genuine.
The case came to light after a customer bought a ticket for Rs 3,100 through the Instagram account and contacted the organisers to verify whether it was authentic. The verification process reportedly revealed that the pass was fake, after which a complaint was filed with the Ahmedabad Cyber Crime Branch and an investigation began.
One of the events whose name was allegedly misused was a one-day Garba programme organised by Ahmedabad Experience Exchange Company at a ground on the Rancharda-Thol Road. The event, themed ‘Anant Brahm’, was scheduled for October 14. Its organisers had begun selling tickets on August 19 and had appealed to participants to purchase passes only through the official website.
The investigation also found advertisements offering passes priced at Rs 6,000 for Rs 4,000, according to the report. Such discounted offers were promoted through the Instagram account as part of the alleged effort to attract buyers seeking lower-priced access to popular Garba events.
The case highlights the role of social media identity and digital payment transactions in ticket sales for large public events. Organisers’ names, logos and email formats were allegedly used to imitate official channels, while buyers were directed to an online account rather than the verified ticketing platforms identified by event organisers.
The arrests followed the cyber crime branch’s complaint and investigation into the Instagram-based sale of counterfeit passes. The police action is continuing under the case registered in connection with the alleged fraud.
