MUMBAI: Amid the black ticketing controversy surrounding the Coldplay concert in India, online ticket aggregator BookMyShow has filed a First Information Report (FIR) in Mumbai against unknown scalpers.
BookMyShow files a case against an unknown person at Vile Parle Police Station in Mumbai, for black marketing of tickets for the Coldplay concert to be held in January 2025 at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
The Mumbai police has registered a case against an unknown accused under section 66 (C) of the IT Act and relevant sections of the BNS Act and further investigation is under way. Mumbai police registered a case under sections 318(4) and 319 (2) of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) and 66(C) of the Information Technology Act.
In its complaint, BookMyShow said that when the ticket sale started on September 22, they had clearly stated that tickets should not be purchased from any third party. During this, they received emails from two individuals, requesting to book maximum tickets.
It was also mentioned in the email that they had promised to secure tickets for people and also took money from them. Apart from this, BookMyShow also received several WhatsApp messages from other people making similar requests, which were ignored.
As per the official spokesperson of BookMyShow, the FIR was filed with the Mumbai Police on October 2. “In its ongoing fight against ticket scalping and black marketing of tickets for Coldplay’s Music Of The Spheres World Tour 2025 in India, BookMyShow has lodged a formal FIR (First Information Report) on October 2, 2024. This action follows our initial complaint filed proactively with the Mumbai Police on September 23, 2024, addressing these concerns much before any formal complaint was raised against us.
“BookMyShow’s FIR filed with the Mumbai police also urges authorities to investigate the unauthorised resale of tickets by individuals and platforms. We have provided details of all resellers that have come to our attention, including independent individuals reselling tickets for this tour across social media platforms such as Instagram, WhatsApp and beyond, as also digital platforms such as Viagogo, Stubhub Holdings and more, to aid authorities in a thorough investigation,” the statement read.
The company also said it is assessing potential cancellation of tickets that are being sold “unethically”. “We remain vigilant in monitoring such instances of ticket reselling for this tour through black market channels and will continue to share all relevant information with the authorities to ensure appropriate action is taken. BookMyShow is assessing potential cancellation of such tickets that are being sold-unethically.
“Our stance remains clear and unchanged — BookMyShow vehemently condemns and opposes ticket reselling which is deemed illegal and is punishable by law in India. BookMyShow has no association with any such unauthorised ticket selling/reselling platforms and/or any third party individuals/platforms for the purpose of reselling Coldplay’s Music Of The Spheres World Tour 2025 in India”, the spokesperson added.
UK-based band Coldplay is set to play three shows, which are scheduled for January 18, 19 and 20 in 2025 at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai, as a part of their ‘Music Of The Spheres World Tour 2025’. (ANI)