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The controversy surrounding the alleged black market sales of Coldplay concert tickets continues to unfold, as Ashish Hemrajani, CEO of BookMyShow's parent company Big Tree Entertainment, has once again skipped a summons issued by the Mumbai Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW). This marks Hemrajani's second absence from the investigation, despite the EOW issuing a summons on September 27th and again on September 30th. While Hemrajani remains absent, the company's COO, Anil Makhija, appeared at the EOW office on Monday, September 30th.
The investigation was triggered by a complaint filed by advocate Amit Vyas, who alleged that BookMyShow engaged in practices that facilitated black market ticket sales. Vyas claimed that genuine users were logged out or blocked, enabling third parties to purchase tickets at exorbitant prices. These tickets, originally priced at ₹2,500, were allegedly resold by influencers and third parties for approximately ₹3 lakh, a significant markup that angered many Coldplay fans. The EOW has acknowledged the complaint and identified individuals involved in the alleged black market activities.
The complaint seeks an FIR to be filed under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, including organized crime, cheating, criminal conspiracy, and criminal breach of trust. The incident has attracted attention from various quarters, including the Shiv Sena (UBT faction), whose spokesperson Anand Dubey addressed a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, demanding an investigation into the alleged ticket black marketing. The controversy surrounding the Coldplay concert tickets further highlights the issue of ticket scalping and the potential for online platforms to be exploited for illicit gains, raising questions about the responsibility of platforms like BookMyShow to protect consumers and prevent such practices.