Surat: Social media posts offering “rented partnerships” for Navratri garba nights have sparked controversy in Surat, prompting police scrutiny, warnings from cyber experts about potential fraud and other risks and denunciation from activist groups who deem the phenomenon to be “defaming our culture”.With Navratri about a month away, posts offering “rented partners” for garba events have been circulating widely on Instagram and other social media platforms.Police said the matter is under scrutiny. “Details about such posts on social media have been brought to notice of police. We are verifying these posts and actions will be taken if anything suspicious is found,” said Rajdipsinh Nakum, deputy commissioner of police, SOG.According to the posts, individuals are offering “garba partnership” for a few hours, selected days, or all garba nights. Charges sought vary by ‘package’, with rates ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 10,000.Many of these advertisements, shared in English, Hindi and Gujarati, feature offerings in categories such as silver, gold, platinum and diamond. The services advertised extend beyond attending an event together. Depending on the package, the rented partner promises selfies, garba step tutorials, reels and videos, and mentions on their personal social media accounts.Some posts say the partner will hold the client’s hand, create a “cute back story” about how they met and coordinate matching outfits for photographs and videos.One man identifies himself as an NRI and offers what he describes as the experience of dancing with an NRI partner. Another advertisement by a woman says she can provide company after garba parties.Several accounts with such posts appear active and established, with substantial follower counts and a long history of posting content. Those making the posts are ostensibly responding to enquiries through direct messages.Cyber expert Chintan Pathak advised caution while dealing with unfamiliar individuals online. Such arrangements, he said, could be linked to cyberfraud, physical crime or exploitation. He urged people to avoid financial dealings or personal engagements with unknown persons contacted through social media platforms.The advertisements have also drawn reactions from activist groups.“Navratri is a festival for the worship of Mataji and not an occasion to search for partners in this way. This looks like a scam and an attempt to defame our culture. We will take action if we come across any such person,” said Pratap Rajpurohit, a Bajrang Dal activist.
