Delhi HC Notices Centre Over Plea For Concert Ticket Resale Regulation, Ban On Illegal Sites

The Delhi High Court issued a notice on Thursday to the Centre and 3 private entities in response to a plea seeking regulations for the resale of concert tickets and the blocking of illegal ticket-selling websites.

The division bench, led by Chief Justice Manmohan, requested responses from various respondents, including the Union ministries of Information and Broadcasting and Electronics and Information Technology.

This matter has been tagged with an ongoing public interest litigation (PIL) related to ticket scalping, which is set for a hearing on February 18, 2025.

The plea was prompted by recent concerts featuring artists like Coldplay and Diljit Dosanjh. It argues that ticket resellers are violating the Consumer Protection Rules, 2020, as they do not verify the tickets sold on their platforms and fail to require sellers to provide any guarantees.

This oversight allows individuals without tickets to advertise through resellers, enabling them to reap unjust benefits.

Additionally, the petition points out that resellers lack effective grievance redressal mechanisms, leaving consumers vulnerable if sellers fail to fulfill their obligations.

In cases of non-delivery of legitimate tickets, resellers profit by charging sellers 25 euros as “administrative fees” for resolving issues, regardless of whether the resolution is successful, without offering compensation to buyers.

The petition also references Section 112 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Sanhita, 2023 (BNS), aimed at curbing black-marketing and unauthorized ticket sales. The legislation seeks to protect public interest by outlawing transactions without the express authority of authorized ticketing platforms or organizers.

Prior to the BNS, state legislatures had enacted laws to prevent such activities, which led to significant tax revenue losses and consumer exploitation.

On October 9, the Delhi High Court sought responses from authorities regarding ticket scalping, a practice that involves reselling event tickets at inflated prices for profit, thereby harming the public.

The petition contends that scalping fosters a black market for counterfeit tickets and enables unregulated transactions that evade the official tax system, resulting in lost government revenue. This situation contributes to a shadow economy that undermines state funding for public services and infrastructure.

The petitioner is calling for a comprehensive legal framework, effective enforcement, and technological solutions to address the negative impacts of ticket scalping. The goal is to promote fair ticketing practices, ensure consumer protection, and integrate ticket sale revenues into the formal economy.

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