Bengaluru: Chaos at Town Hall as dance teams denied stage after paying lakhs

A late-night drama erupted in front of Bengaluru’s iconic Town Hall after a dance event turned chaotic, leaving participants and parents outraged. The event, organized by Heena Jain and marketed as a grand platform featuring celebrity guest actress Jayaprada, ended in disappointment as multiple dance groups were denied the chance to perform despite paying hefty entry fees.

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The incident occurred on the night of June 22, where several parents and dance teams who had arrived as early as 6 AM waited until midnight without getting a chance to perform. Allegedly, each team paid between Rs 50,000 to Rs 60,000 to participate in the event, hoping to showcase their talent and receive awards directly from the renowned actress.

However, due to time mismanagement and extended duration of the business awards segment, the dance performances were sidelined. Actress Jayaprada, who was invited as the chief guest, arrived late, and the organizers prioritized the award presentations, citing lack of time as the reason for not accommodating all the dance teams.

Angered by the mismanagement, frustrated parents and participants gathered outside the venue late at night, demanding refunds and accountability. The situation intensified as the crowd reportedly cornered organizer Heena Jain in front of Town Hall, raising slogans and expressing their outrage.

Heena Jain, in her defense, stated that there was no intention to cheat anyone. She admitted that around 110 dance teams had registered, and it was not possible to give stage time to all due to time constraints. She assured that refunds would be processed within a month for those who were unable to perform.

According to sources, a police complaint was briefly considered, but the issue was temporarily resolved after the organizer settled the matter financially at the station.