Mumbai Police’s Economic Offenses Wing (EOW) has summoned BookMyShow CEO Ashish Hemrajani along with a senior team member to answer questions regarding the alleged black sale of tickets for Coldplay’s much-anticipated concert in Mumbai.
The summons comes after a complaint by lawyer Amit Vyas raised concerns about the unauthorized sale of tickets for an upcoming show by a British rock band.
Officials ordered Hemrajani and the company’s technical chief to appear before them on Saturday. Coldplay, who will perform in Mumbai on January 18, 19 and 21, 2025 as part of their ‘Music of the Spheres’ world tour, are returning to India after an eight-year hiatus.
Tickets for the concert went on sale via BookMyShow on 22 September, but the event was marred by technical issues that saw all available tickets sold out within seconds. Originally priced between Rs 2,500 and Rs 35,000, it has reportedly appeared on various platforms ranging from Rs 35,000 to Rs 3,000 and above, raising alarm among fans and authorities alike.
In a statement earlier this week, BookMyShow clarified that it is not a partner of third-party ticketing platforms, including Viagogo and Gigsberg, and urged the public not to fall victim to scams. The company stressed that tickets purchased from unauthorized sources carry the risk of counterfeiting and expressed its commitment to fully cooperate with the ongoing police investigation.
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Bulk buying and reselling of tickets is illegal in India and BookMyShow said it has filed a police complaint over the practices.
For context, tickets for the concert went live on BookMyShow on Sunday, September 22 at 1:30 PM and sold out within minutes. The overwhelming demand caused the platform to crash, sparking public outrage on social media. Ticket prices initially started at INR 12,500 but are now being sold for up to INR 4 Lakh on various platforms.
Shortly after going on sale, BookMyShow issued a statement clarifying that concert tickets were listed on these sales platforms both before and after their official launch.
