The Enforcement Directorate has conducted searches in Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, Chandigarh, and Bengaluru in connection with the illegal sale of tickets of Coldplay and Diljeet Dosanjh’ s Dilluminati concerts.
“In an electrifying announcement for music enthusiasts across India, two highly anticipated concerts are set to captivate audiences: Diljeet Dosanjh’s ‘Dilluminati’ and Coldplay’s ‘Music of the Spheres World Tour’. Both events have generated immense excitement, leading official ticketing partners, Bookmyshow and Zomato Live, to report that tickets sold out in just minutes on their platforms which ultimately led to black-marketing of tickets at exorbitant prices,’ said the ED.
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Following the rapid sellout, numerous reports emerged of individuals being deceived through fraudulent ticket sales. Many fans discovered that they were sold fake tickets or charged exorbitant prices for legitimate ones.
“Multiple First Information Reports (FIRs) have been filed in various States..including one FIR filed by Bookmyshow against several suspects believed to be exploiting concertgoers. The FIR alleges that these individuals have engaged in selling counterfeit tickets and drastically inflating prices, taking advantage of the high demand for these coveted concerts,’ it said.
Based on the cases, the ED launched an investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and conducted searches at over 13 locations on October 25. The agency seized several incriminating materials, mobile phones, laptops, SIM cards, etc. used in the scam.
In season of ‘ticket scalping’, it’s back to fakes
“Normally, tickets are available on platforms like Zomato and Bookmyshow. However, when the concert demand is very high, these tickets sell out quickly, leading people to seek alternate sources. Searches and investigations conducted by the ED have revealed information regarding multiple individuals known for providing such tickets, including fake tickets, through social media using Instagram, WhatsApp and Telegram,” said the agency.
While the ‘Dil-Luminati’ concert by Dosanjh is scheduled to be held over the weekend on October 26-27 at the Jawaharlal Nehru (JLN) stadium in the national capital, the Coldplay event ‘Music of the Spheres World Tour’ is slated for January 2025 at Navi Mumbai.
Plea in Delhi High Court seeking regulatory framework for reselling tickets
PTI adds:
In a related development, the Delhi High Court on Thursday sought the response of the Centre on a plea seeking a regulatory framework to regulate the re-sale of these concert tickets through authorised platforms.
A bench of Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela issued notice to Union ministries of Information and Broadcasting and Electronics, and Information Technology, private entities Stubhub Inc, Viagogo Entertainment Inc and Bigtree Entertainment Pvt Ltd.
The court said the replies would have to be filed within four weeks and posted the hearing for February 18, 2025. The HC is hearing pleas on alleged irregularities in ticket sales for both these concerts.
Published - October 26, 2024 01:25 pm IST
