Plea In Delhi HC Calls For Rules To Regulate Concert Ticket Resales, Block Illegal Sites

A plea has been filed in the Delhi High Court on Tuesday urging the Centre to establish a regulatory framework for the resale of concert tickets through authorized platforms, aiming to curb illegal selling activities.

The case was brought before Justice Sanjeev Narula, who was informed by the petitioner’s counsel that a similar public interest litigation was already pending before a bench led by the Chief Justice of the Delhi High Court.

Consequently, the court directed that this new petition be listed before the Chief Justice’s court on October 23.

The petition, filed by Samridhi and four others, represented by senior advocate Rajshekhar Rao and advocate Malak Bhatt, specifically highlighted an upcoming concert by the British rock band Coldplay.

The petitioners argued that online ticketing platforms like BookMyShow should facilitate a user-friendly digital ticketing system that effectively counters black-market ticket sales.

According to the plea, following announcements for popular events such as cricket matches and concerts by renowned artists like Coldplay and Diljit Dosanjh there has been a surge in black-marketing, with tickets sold at inflated prices through unauthorized channels.

The petition emphasized that Coldplay had collaborated with BMS to sell concert tickets directly to the public, specifically to prevent unauthorized resales. However, despite this partnership, other platforms continued to engage in illegal ticket sales.

The petitioners urged Bigtree Entertainment Pvt Ltd, which operates BMS, to implement stricter safeguards against “bots” that acquire large quantities of tickets for unauthorized resale. The plea called on the court to instruct the Centre to take action against illegal ticket resellers operating in India.

Earlier, the Chief Justice’s court had sought responses from the Centre and the Delhi government regarding a PIL that alleged “illegal, manipulative, and exploitative” practices in ticket scalping, where tickets are resold at exorbitant prices.

The petition contended that such practices distort the fairness of the ticket-buying process, undermining the experience for genuine fans and creating a scenario where only those willing to pay high prices can attend events.

In addition, the plea requested the formation of a committee to investigate the issue, highlighting similar incidents during the ticket bookings for the “Dil-Luminati Tour” of Diljit Dosanjh, scheduled for October 26 at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi.

The ongoing concerns over ticket scalping and the unauthorized resale of tickets have raised significant alarm among fans and event organizers alike, emphasizing the need for regulatory action.

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