Bombay HC Dismisses Plea for Measures Against Coldplay Ticket Black Marketing
In a significant ruling on Friday, the Bombay High Court rejected a plea seeking the formulation of guidelines to curb black marketing and ticket scalping at major events, including concerts. This decision follows allegations of foul play during the ticket sales for British band Coldplay’s much-anticipated concert in Navi Mumbai later this month.
In a significant ruling on Friday, the Bombay High Court rejected a plea seeking the formulation of guidelines to curb black marketing and ticket scalping at major events, including concerts. This decision follows allegations of foul play during the ticket sales for British band Coldplay’s much-anticipated concert in Navi Mumbai later this month.
The petition, filed by advocate Amit Vyas, claimed that irregularities and illegal activities were prevalent during the sale of tickets for Coldplay’s concert on the online platform BookMyShow. Vyas alleged that the platform manipulated the ticketing process, causing fans to be locked out and unable to access tickets, only for them to later appear on secondary resale websites at inflated prices.
The division bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar dismissed the plea, noting that the issues raised were legislative in nature, and thus beyond the court’s jurisdiction. “This is a legislative and executive decision. The court cannot interfere,” the bench said. The judges further clarified that the government could take up the issue and formulate appropriate legislation if necessary.
The court, however, did allow the petitioner to approach the competent authority with their concerns. In the judgment, the bench remarked that if the government felt the need to address these concerns, it was free to adopt legislative or executive measures to tackle them.
In the petition, Vyas pointed out that similar irregularities had been observed in past events, including the 2023 IPL and World Cup matches, as well as concerts by international stars like Taylor Swift and Diljit Dosanjh. The petition accused event organizers and ticketing platforms of exploiting fans by listing tickets at exorbitant prices on secondary resale websites.
Vyas also raised concerns over the manipulation of the ticket sales process on BookMyShow, alleging that tickets for Coldplay’s concert were sold out within minutes, despite the platform showing tickets as available on secondary websites shortly afterward. The petitioner had previously filed a complaint with the city police’s Economic Offences Wing in relation to such incidents, and an inquiry into the matter is currently underway.
While the court’s decision may have been disappointing for those seeking immediate solutions to the rampant issue of ticket scalping, it is likely to prompt further discussions on how to regulate and curb black marketing in the ticketing industry for high-demand events.
Sources By Agencies
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