Vadodara:What should have been a night of festive fervour turned into a nightmare for dozens of garba revellers at the United Way Garba venue in Atladara on Sunday night, as mobile phone thefts triggered chaos and heated arguments with security guards and police personnel.Several revellers lost their mobile phones in the massive crowds, with many alleging that their devices had been stolen from crowded areas. Frustrated by the lack of immediate assistance, some victims confronted security personnel, questioning the effectiveness of the arrangements.“My brother’s mobile phone was snatched from his hand in a crowded area near the shoe rack stall. It was an extremely frustrating experience, as there was no one to attend to our complaint. We approached the security guards and then the police. What is the point of having security if garba revellers are not safe?” said Chandani Dhankani, a reveller.Dhankani said several others around her had also lost their mobile phones, many of them expensive ones. When she visited the Atladara police station to lodge a complaint, she learnt that more than 25 mobile thefts had occurred at the popular venue. She also questioned the organisers’ decision to introduce a QR-code-based entry system this year, arguing that it required revellers to carry their mobile phones.The water stalls emerged as a major trouble spot, with thousands of revellers crowding around them during breaks. Videos showing massive crowds gathered near the stalls also went viral. The situation became more distressing for some victims when security guards denied them re-entry because they could not produce their QR codes after losing their phones.Police said they had received 12 complaints of mobile thefts so far, adding that the number could rise. Atladara police inspector P U Pastagiya said teams had been deployed at the venue and the organisers had been asked to increase CCTV coverage and improve lighting in certain areas.“We will step up patrolling from tonight,” Pastagiya said.Acknowledging the crowding near the water stalls, Tarak Patel, chairperson of the United Way resource mobilisation committee, said the organisers would increase the number of stalls to ease congestion. They also plan to install additional CCTV cameras and improve lighting across the venue.Patel said the organisers had discussed security arrangements with police officers and urged revellers to avoid crowding around individual stalls or congregating at any one spot.With concerns mounting over the safety of revellers and their belongings, the incidents have raised questions about crowd management, surveillance and security arrangements at one of Vadodara’s most popular garba venues.
