Coldplay India Concert: PIL In Bombay HC Seeks Guidelines Against Black Marketing

A Public Interest Litigation on Monday has been filed in the Bombay High Court, seeking guidelines to combat black marketing and ticket scalping at major events.

This comes in light of alleged irregularities during the online ticket sale for British band Coldplay’s upcoming concert in Navi Mumbai in January 2025.

The PIL, submitted by advocate Amit Vyas, was mentioned for urgent hearing before a division bench comprising Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar. Vyas highlighted various illegalities that have emerged during ticket sales for concerts and live shows, specifically citing the recent sale of Coldplay concert tickets through the BookMyShow platform.

An advocate representing Vyas informed the court that secondary websites are still selling tickets for the concert at inflated prices. The bench noted an ongoing police inquiry into the matter and scheduled a hearing for November after the Diwali vacation.

The petition calls for the court to establish stringent guidelines to prevent black marketing, ticket touting, and scalping of online tickets for major events. It claims that such illegal practices were prevalent during recent IPL matches, the 2023 Cricket World Cup, and concerts by artists like Taylor Swift and Diljit Dosanjh.

The PIL alleges that organizers and ticketing partners exploit fans by listing tickets on secondary sites at exorbitant rates.

Vyas asserted that the Coldplay ticket sales were manipulated, stating, “The sale of online tickets was apparently manipulated by the BookMyShow platform, such that users were logged out and unable to access the site before mid-noon on the day tickets were released.”

Within minutes, tickets for all three shows were marked as sold out, even as they reappeared at inflated prices on secondary sites.

Vyas previously filed a police complaint with the Economic Offences Wing, which is currently investigating the issue. He argues that such practices deny people their fundamental right to equitable access to public entertainment.

The PIL also references the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020, which require e-commerce entities to ensure fair and non-deceptive practices. Vyas contends that without effective regulations in the ticketing sector, companies like BookMyShow are failing to comply with these rules, exacerbating the problem of ticket scalping and black marketing.

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