The Aam Aadmi Party President, Adv. Amit Palekar, has lodged a formal complaint against the organisers of Sunburn at the Panaji police station on Saturday.
Palekar stated that the organisers have been selling tickets for the event without obtaining the necessary permissions from the government.
Palekar has called for the government to file an FIR and conduct a thorough investigation into this matter. He has also demanded that the police investigate where the revenue generated from ticket sales is being directed and identify the company receiving these funds.
While addressing the press in Panaji, Palekar asserted that despite the government’s statement during the recent monsoon assembly session that no permission had been granted to the Sunburn organisers, tickets are being sold through BookMyShow, and many people have already purchased them. He emphasised that it is now the responsibility of Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant and Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte to take immediate action against the organisers and file an FIR, as they have not obtained the appropriate permissions from the concerned state authorities.
Palekar said, “The kind of loot and conspiracy that is being carried out by BookMyShow and Sunburn organisers is alarming. The State government will be held responsible as they appear to be co-conspirators with the promoters of Sunburn. The government should immediately intervene, instruct the police to investigate, file an FIR, and stop the sale of tickets. If this is not done, it will be clear that the government is also involved in this.”
Palekar also highlighted that last year, the Sunburn organisers were selling tickets for the Sunburn Festival scheduled for December 31st, even though permission had not been granted for that date. The event was eventually cancelled on December 31st, and the organisers returned the public’s money after two months. This, he said, shows that the organisers are habitual offenders who have understood that the government will not take any action against them. They continue to promote events that have not received the necessary permissions, which is fraudulent according to the law.
Palekar said, “The Tourism Minister himself stated that Govt has not given permission to Sunburn, and that anyone who has been sold a ticket may file a police complaint. I wanted to expose the fraudulent activities of the Sunburn organisers, which is why I purchased a ticket myself to show that they have fraudulently taken ₹2,230.10 from me. The CM and Tourism Minister had asked for a Goan to file a complaint, and I have done it. Now, the government should act on this as they announced”.
Taking jibe at the BJP government he further added, “The government has become like a father-in-law, with the promoters of Sunburn Festival as their favorite son-in-law. This father-in-law waits until the last minute to collect a big gift and eventually grants permission. This has become a ritual every year. Sunburn has not put Goa on the cultural map but on the map of loud noise, drug abuse, overdose, pollution, and loss of business”.
