The Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has issued a summons to BookMyShow’s CEO, Ashish Hemrajani, and the company’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO). This summons comes in connection with allegations of black market ticket sales for the upcoming Coldplay concert in Mumbai, which is part of their “Music of the Spheres” world tour scheduled for 2025.
The investigation was triggered after a lawyer filed a complaint accusing BookMyShow of being involved in ticket black marketing. According to the lawyer, exorbitant prices were being charged for the concert tickets, which should have been available at face value. This led to the EOW launching a formal investigation into the matter, with the statements of BookMyShow’s top executives being recorded by the police as part of the ongoing probe.
Sting Operation Uncovers Ticket Black Marketing
This issue gained significant attention after a sting operation conducted by Dainik Bhaskar on September 24, 2023. The operation revealed the large-scale black market sale of Coldplay concert tickets. The investigation showed that tickets, originally priced at ₹3,500, were being resold for as much as ₹70,000. Following this exposé, BookMyShow, the official ticketing partner for the Coldplay concert, lodged a complaint against individuals selling counterfeit tickets.
BookMyShow Denies Involvement, Lodges Complaint
On September 25, 2023, BookMyShow responded to the allegations by filing its own complaint against those involved in selling counterfeit tickets. The company clarified that it had no affiliation with third-party resellers such as Viagogo and Gigsberg, emphasizing that the platform condemned ticket scalping and was taking legal action against those involved.
In an official statement, BookMyShow urged customers to avoid purchasing tickets from unauthorized sources, warning that doing so would put them at risk of acquiring fake tickets. The company expressed its commitment to fully cooperate with law enforcement in investigating the matter.
Allegations of ₹500 Crore Fraud
In addition to the black market ticket sales, BookMyShow is also facing accusations of fraud amounting to ₹500 crore. These charges were filed by the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the youth wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). According to BJYM member Tejinder Singh Tiwana, the app allegedly facilitated ticket scalping by creating special links for agents to purchase tickets at lower prices and resell them at inflated rates, while genuine buyers were placed in virtual queues.
Tiwana also pointed out that this is not the first time such practices have been reported. He mentioned that similar incidents occurred during major events such as the World Cup and IPL, where tickets were sold at exorbitant prices on platforms like Viagogo.
BookMyShow has firmly denied all allegations related to the ₹500 crore fraud. The company reiterated its stance on following strict protocols regarding ticket sales and assured the public that it would work closely with authorities to resolve the issue. The case is still under investigation, and further developments are awaited as the police continue to gather evidence and question key figures involved.
