An Ahmedabad garba venue linked to singer Jigardan Gadhvi was stopped by police on Tuesday night after organisers reportedly failed to secure the required police permission, following concerns over pending fire-safety measures and a separate crowd disruption over denied entry. The AC dome venue is located on New Science City Road.
According to a report by Gujarat Samachar – Ahmedabad, the venue had hosted garba on the first night of Navratri despite not having received a fire No Objection Certificate (NOC). The report said fire officials inspected the site four times over three days and identified several deficiencies, including restricted access routes, accumulated waste and exposed live electrical wires beneath and behind the dome.
The fire department reportedly instructed the organisers to address the exposed wiring, install fire extinguishers and emergency exits, and apply fire-resistant spray to the fabric used in the AC dome and the carpet on the ground. The report said these works had not been completed by the time of the inspection. It also stated that the fire department had warned of the possibility of fire spreading through the fabric on the ground floor if an incident occurred.
Despite the reported deficiencies, garba continued at the venue until around 1am on Sunday, the report said. It questioned how police deployment was provided for the event when the venue allegedly did not have both fire clearance and police permission. The report did not include responses from the organisers or independently documented comments from the fire department on the specific inspection findings.
The dispute escalated on the second night when ticket holders reportedly waited outside from around 9pm without being allowed to enter. According to the report, attendees who had paid for expensive passes were not given a clear explanation for the delay. Some allegedly pushed their way into the AC dome, tore posters and damaged property while demanding refunds.
Police later said the event could not proceed because permission had not been granted. The report attributed the delay to the absence of a structural stability report, even though fire clearance was said to have been obtained for the second night. Without the structural report, police reportedly did not issue permission for the garba programme.
The incident has placed the operating standards for temporary event structures under scrutiny. For large public gatherings, fire clearance, structural safety, emergency exits, access for emergency vehicles and electrical safety are central to whether an event can legally and safely open to the public. The next step is for the organisers to address the reported deficiencies and obtain the required permissions before any further programme is held at the venue.
