The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday said that it has found irregularities after it conducted raids in a money laundering investigation into " black marketing" of tickets for Coldplay and Diljit Dosanjh's 'Dil-Luminati' concerts.
The searches were done on Friday at 13 locations across five states including Delhi, Maharashtra (Mumbai), Rajasthan (Jaipur), Karnataka (Bengaluru) and Punjab (Chandigarh).
Usually, tickets are available on platforms like Zomato, BookMyShow and others but when the demand is very high, these tickets sell out quickly, leading people to seek alternate sources, the agency said.
"Searches and investigation conducted by ED has revealed information regarding multiple individuals known for providing such tickets, including fake tickets through social media using Instagram, WhatsApp and Telegram," the ED said in a statement.
The agency said that several incriminating materials like mobile phones, laptops, SIM cards have been found. These were used in the ticket sales "scam" and have been seized.
The searches were aimed at investigating the illegal sales of tickets, financial networks supporting these scams, and tracing the proceeds of crime generated from such illegal activities, it said.
Concerns over ticket sale irregularities
A PIL has been filed in the Bombay High Court after the online ticketing process for major events, including concerts and live shows, is allegedly plagued by irregularities. Petitioner, Vyas, pointed to the ticket sale for Coldplay’s concert on the BookMyShow platform as a recent example. He claimed that tickets were sold out within minutes of being made available, yet were later found listed on secondary websites at inflated prices.
An advocate representing Vyas informed the court that several secondary websites are still selling Coldplay concert tickets at exorbitant prices, raising concerns of unfair practices. The court noted that a police inquiry is underway and has scheduled the next hearing for November, following the Diwali vacation.
Call for regulation of ticketing practices
The petition seeks clear guidelines to curb black marketing and the resale of tickets at inflated prices. It highlights similar irregularities in ticket sales for other high-profile events, including Indian Premier League (IPL) matches, the 2023 Cricket World Cup, and concerts by artists such as Taylor Swift and Diljit Dosanjh.
The PIL alleges that ticketing platforms and event organizers are exploiting fans by listing tickets on secondary platforms at significantly higher prices. This practice, it claims, deprives people of their fundamental right to fair access to public entertainment.
Allegations against BookMyShow
According to the petition, the Coldplay concert tickets were manipulated on the BookMyShow platform. "The sale of online tickets was apparently manipulated by BookMyShow in such a manner that even before mid-noon on the day the tickets were made available, people got logged out and were not allowed to access the website for purchase of tickets," the PIL stated.
It further claims that despite tickets being marked as sold out within minutes on BookMyShow, they later appeared on secondary websites, further fueling concerns over black marketing.
Legal action and ongoing inquiry
Vyas has already filed a police complaint with the Economic Offences Wing of the Mumbai Police regarding the issue. The inquiry into the alleged irregularities is currently ongoing.
The petition also references the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020, which mandate that e-commerce platforms ensure fair practices. However, the PIL contends that in the absence of effective regulations in the ticketing sector, platforms like BookMyShow are not adhering to these rules.
The court will revisit the case in November, potentially leading to stricter regulations governing online ticket sales for major events.
The searches were done on Friday at 13 locations across five states including Delhi, Maharashtra (Mumbai), Rajasthan (Jaipur), Karnataka (Bengaluru) and Punjab (Chandigarh).
Usually, tickets are available on platforms like Zomato, BookMyShow and others but when the demand is very high, these tickets sell out quickly, leading people to seek alternate sources, the agency said.
"Searches and investigation conducted by ED has revealed information regarding multiple individuals known for providing such tickets, including fake tickets through social media using Instagram, WhatsApp and Telegram," the ED said in a statement.
The agency said that several incriminating materials like mobile phones, laptops, SIM cards have been found. These were used in the ticket sales "scam" and have been seized.
The searches were aimed at investigating the illegal sales of tickets, financial networks supporting these scams, and tracing the proceeds of crime generated from such illegal activities, it said.
Concerns over ticket sale irregularities
A PIL has been filed in the Bombay High Court after the online ticketing process for major events, including concerts and live shows, is allegedly plagued by irregularities. Petitioner, Vyas, pointed to the ticket sale for Coldplay’s concert on the BookMyShow platform as a recent example. He claimed that tickets were sold out within minutes of being made available, yet were later found listed on secondary websites at inflated prices.
An advocate representing Vyas informed the court that several secondary websites are still selling Coldplay concert tickets at exorbitant prices, raising concerns of unfair practices. The court noted that a police inquiry is underway and has scheduled the next hearing for November, following the Diwali vacation.
Call for regulation of ticketing practices
The petition seeks clear guidelines to curb black marketing and the resale of tickets at inflated prices. It highlights similar irregularities in ticket sales for other high-profile events, including Indian Premier League (IPL) matches, the 2023 Cricket World Cup, and concerts by artists such as Taylor Swift and Diljit Dosanjh.
The PIL alleges that ticketing platforms and event organizers are exploiting fans by listing tickets on secondary platforms at significantly higher prices. This practice, it claims, deprives people of their fundamental right to fair access to public entertainment.
Allegations against BookMyShow
According to the petition, the Coldplay concert tickets were manipulated on the BookMyShow platform. "The sale of online tickets was apparently manipulated by BookMyShow in such a manner that even before mid-noon on the day the tickets were made available, people got logged out and were not allowed to access the website for purchase of tickets," the PIL stated.
It further claims that despite tickets being marked as sold out within minutes on BookMyShow, they later appeared on secondary websites, further fueling concerns over black marketing.
Legal action and ongoing inquiry
Vyas has already filed a police complaint with the Economic Offences Wing of the Mumbai Police regarding the issue. The inquiry into the alleged irregularities is currently ongoing.
The petition also references the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020, which mandate that e-commerce platforms ensure fair practices. However, the PIL contends that in the absence of effective regulations in the ticketing sector, platforms like BookMyShow are not adhering to these rules.
The court will revisit the case in November, potentially leading to stricter regulations governing online ticket sales for major events.
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