Staff Reporter

 

A massive fraud allegedly involving crores has surfaced during Ghat Festival Season-1 held in Jabalpur. The Congress on Saturday lodged a formal complaint with the Superintendent of Police and the Economic Offenses Wing (EOW) against the alleged scam. The complaint accuses collusion between the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Department and Cinecraft Entertainment Company. Congress leaders have demanded strict action against the accused and a high-level investigation into the matter.

 

They said the scam not only betrayed public trust but also misused government funds. They stressed the need to bring the culprits to justice to prevent such incidents in future. City Congress President Saurabh Sharma in the complaint said the festival was scheduled to take place from January 22 to January 26, 2025, at a Lawn on Lamheta Bypass near Garha Railway station. The event was widely promoted by MP Tourism and Cinecraft Entertainment through hoardings in multiple cities, advertisements on social media, FM radio and newspapers. Prominent film stars and singers, including Sunil Grover, Piyush Mishra, Sukhwinder Singh, Papon,

 

Aastha Gill and others were announced as performers. On January 23, Sunil Grover and Piyush Mishra were scheduled to perform. The event was set to begin at 6 pm. However, by 9 pm, no performers had taken the stage. It was later revealed that the artists had not been paid their fees. Some performers even took to social media to share the situation. Meanwhile, an audience of around 10,000 gathered at the Lawn grew agitated over the event’s cancellation, leading to chaos. The lawn’s owner reportedly suffered huge loss due to the unrest. Congressmen in the complaint alleged that the organisers collected about Rs 10 crore in ticket sales through platforms like BookMyShow and other channels over five days. Despite earning substantial revenue, payments to key vendors and performers were allegedly not made. A sound and lighting company from Indore was contracted for Rs 54 lakh but allegedly received only a token money. Similarly, food vendors were charged 10-20 lakh, but their investments were not refunded after the event’s cancellation. The Congressmen has named Rahul Mishra, proprietor of Cinecraft Entertainment as the primary accused, alleging that he embezzled public and government funds in collusion with officials from the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Department. They have demanded strict action against the accused and a high-level investigation into the matter. The Congress leaders also alleged that the scam not only betrayed public trust but also misused government funds. The complaint includes supporting documents and evidence related to the festival, emphasizing the need to bring the culprits to justice to prevent such incidents in the future.