The Mumbai police has summoned the technical head and CEO of ticketing platform BookMyShow over investigation into alleged black marketing of much anticipated Coldplay concert tickets in Mumbai. Police have initiated the probe based on the complaint of a Mumbai-based lawyer.
The Economic Offences Wing of Mumbai police will reportedly record the statements of BookMyShow chief executive officer and co-founder Ashish Hemrajani and the company's technical head on Saturday. The advocate alleged the platform facilitated black marketing of the concert tickets, scheduled to be held at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on January 18-21 next year.
A senior police officer told PTI, “Based on the complaint a preliminary enquiry has begun. The CEO and co-founder of BookMyShow Ashish Hemrajani along with the company's technical head have been summoned. Their statements will be recorded on Saturday."
British band Coldplay added a third show to the Mumbai leg of the "Music of the Spheres World Tour 2025" due to the phenomenal response in India.
Due to phenomenal demand, a third Mumbai date has been added at DY Patil Stadium for 21 January, 2025. Tickets on sale at 2PM IST today, at https://t.co/4CTfg2kbGU pic.twitter.com/ScYDrRkDIc
— Coldplay (@coldplay) September 22, 2024
The tickets for the Coldplay concert were sold out within minutes of opening the booking. While the original ticket prices ranged between Rs 2,500 and Rs 35,000, they were resold for exorbitant prices on a few reselling platforms. In a post on X on Tuesday, BookMyShow said they had no association with ticket reselling platforms and ticket scalping was punishable under law.
⚠️ OFFICIAL STATEMENT REGARDING RESALE OF #MOTSWT TICKETS pic.twitter.com/hTCaeIl9Fc
— BookMyShow (@bookmyshow) September 23, 2024
“We have filed a complaint with police authorities and will provide complete support to them in the investigation of this matter. Any tickets bought from unauthorised sources will be at the risk of the consumer, and can turn out to be fake tickets,” it said.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Anand Dubey wrote to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde demanding a probe into alleged black market sale of the tickets. Dubey alleged despite the official ticketing partner BookMyShow declaring the show being sold out, there were other "unofficial channels" through which the tickets were being made available at "exorbitant prices”, ANI reported.
