The Bombay high court today refused to grant a stay on hosting the popular Sunburn Electronic Dance Festival scheduled to start in Goa from tomorrow.

Congress party's Goa spokesman Sunil Kawathankar had filed a public interest litigation before the high court pleading that the festival be stopped accusing the organisers of tax evasion. The petition had alleged that the festival organisers were evading the entertainment tax on sale of tickets, which are largely done online and also differently priced.

Sunburn would be held at Vagatore beach in Goa from December 27-30. Kawathankar, who argued in person before the single bench of Justice Anuja Prabhudesai stated that the tickets were priced differently, dodging the commercial tax department which determines the entertainment tax collection. He submitted that the sale of online tickets also goes without any monitoring.