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The highly anticipated Coldplay concert in India has been overshadowed by controversy surrounding the ticket sales process and allegations of unfair practices by the ticketing platform, BookMyShow. The Economic Offence Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Police has summoned Ashish Hemrajani, CEO of BookMyShow's parent company, Big Tree Entertainment, along with the company's technical head, to provide statements on September 28th. This action follows a complaint filed by Mumbai-based lawyer Amit Vyas, who accuses BookMyShow of engaging in a conspiracy to black-market tickets, hindering genuine fans from securing tickets during the official sale.
Vyas' complaint alleges that BookMyShow employed dishonest tactics, including logging out legitimate users and blocking access to the platform, effectively creating a scenario where ticket bots and black-market sellers could dominate the sales process. This, he claims, resulted in tickets quickly selling out and then reappearing on secondary resale sites like Viagogo at exorbitant prices. Vyas intends to file a First Information Report (FIR) under several provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, including charges of organized crime, fraud, criminal conspiracy, and breach of trust. In response, BookMyShow has filed a police complaint regarding the alleged sale of counterfeit Coldplay concert tickets on certain platforms, clarifying its lack of affiliation with these platforms or individuals reselling tickets.
BookMyShow, however, maintains its stance on fair ticketing practices and claims that over 1.3 crore fans logged in to the portal to secure tickets. The company implemented a queuing system to address the overwhelming demand and even added a third show in Mumbai to accommodate fans. While BookMyShow emphasizes its efforts to ensure fair access, the allegations of unfair practices and the subsequent police investigation cast a shadow over the upcoming concert, raising serious concerns about the transparency and fairness of the ticketing system in India.