BookMyShow CEO summoned over alleged ticket fraud for Coldplay India concert
PTC Web Desk: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Police has summoned Ashish Hemrajani, CEO and co-founder of BookMyShow, along with the company's technical head, over allegations the sale of tickets for the upcoming Coldplay concerts in India on the black market. According to an official, the British rock band is set to perform at Navi Mumbai's DY Patil Stadium from January 19 to 21, 2025, and the case involves suspected ticket scalping facilitated through the online ticketing platform.
The probe was initiated following a complaint filed by advocate Amit Vyas, who alleged that tickets for Coldplay’s concert, originally priced at Rs 2,500, are being resold by third-party brokers and influencers for exorbitant amounts, reaching up to Rs 3 lakh. Vyas accused BookMyShow of enabling this fraudulent activity and demanded legal action against the platform on charges of public deception and fraud. The EOW has already recorded his statement and identified several brokers involved in the resale of tickets.
Hemrajani and the technical head of BookMyShow have been asked to appear on Saturday to provide their statements as part of the ongoing investigation.
In response to the complaint, opposition political parties have also expressed concern. The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray faction) has urged Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to look into the matter. According to party spokesperson Anand Dubey, "It seems there is a nexus involved in black-marketing Coldplay concert tickets. The tickets were reportedly sold out within minutes, leaving many genuine fans frustrated."
Dubey, in a letter to Shinde, called for immediate action, stating, "With your intervention, we hope proper measures will be taken to prevent this exploitation of young fans and their families."
Adding to the growing concerns, BJP spokesperson Ram Kadam also criticised the alleged black-marketing, saying, "Those responsible must be held accountable. We will not tolerate such unethical practices in the state."
The Coldplay concert tickets had sold out within minutes when they went on sale on September 22. Due to high demand, BookMyShow servers reportedly crashed. Coldplay, returning to India after eight years, added a third show to their Mumbai tour leg as part of their "Music of the Spheres World Tour 2025."
- With inputs from agencies
