The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Police has called Ashish Hemrajani, CEO of Big Tree Entertainment which is the parent company of BookMyShow over allegations of ticket scalping for Coldplay's "Music Of The Spheres World Tour 2025" performances in India. The Coldplay tickets scandal has drawn significant attention, with authorities investigating the alleged malpractice surrounding the ticket sales.

The company's technical director has also been notified by the authorities. This follows a previous summons issued on September 27th which they did not respond to. They must appear before the EOW and make declarations about these accusations. The scandal began after Advocate Amit Vyas filed a formal complaint with authorities, accusing BookMyShow of black-selling Coldplay concert tickets.

Vyas claimed that tickets, originally valued at ₹2,500 and onwards, were resold for up to ₹3 lakh and above by resellers and influencers. BookMyShow, India's biggest ticketing provider, denied any involvement in ticket scalping and stated that it had fully cooperated with authorities.

Coldplay Tickets Scandal
Image Source: Wallpapers.com

According to a spokesperson for the company, the platform saw overwhelming demand for Coldplay tickets and claimed that 13 million fans attempted to purchase them when they went live on September 22. To manage this demand, the company implemented a queuing system, and limited ticket purchases to four per user (even added a third concert in Mumbai because of the high demand).

However, despite these measures concerns over ticket scalping persisted. BookMyShow clarified that they have no association with unauthorized ticket reselling platforms (such as Viagogo and Gigsberg) nor do they condone the resale of tickets by third-party individuals. The company also expressed their strong stance against illegal scalping in India and confirmed it had filed a police complaint to address the issue.

Advocate Amit Vyas, however, asserts that the platform has misled Coldplay enthusiasts and the general public. He alleges fraudulent activities in the distribution of tickets. He has urged police to file a First Information Report (FIR) against BookMyShow for perpetrating fraud. Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has already documented Vyas' statement and identified several brokers believed to be complicit in the illegal resale of tickets. Although these measures were in place, the issue of scalping remained prevalent, because high demand often leads to such illicit activities.

Further investigations are underway, with additional summonses expected as this case continues. The Coldplay concert—scheduled for January 18, 19 and 21, 2025, at Mumbai's DY Patil Stadium—has been one of the year's most anticipated events, eliciting much enthusiasm among fans.

However, the suspected ticket scalping has put a pall over the event, evoking hostility from the fan base, with many fans expressing displeasure at being unable to obtain tickets at face value due to reselling practices. BookMyShow's spokeswoman stated that the company strongly opposes ticket scalping and is dedicated to guaranteeing a fair procedure for all concertgoers.

Although the investigation continues, the controversy surrounding the event has raised broader concerns about the effectiveness of online ticketing platforms in preventing the black marketing of tickets, particularly for high-demand events like Coldplay’s concerts. Further developments in the case are awaited as this investigation unfolds.

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