Coldplay ticket scandal: Police files FIR against 30 for reselling of tickets in black

The constabulary person filed the FIR connected the ailment of Pooja Mitra, wide manager, ineligible department, BookMyShow, a radical institution of Big Tree Entertainment Private Limited.

As per the FIR, aft the tickets went connected merchantability connected the level connected September 22, BookMyShow received emails from an idiosyncratic named Ashwin requesting them for abstracted pricing of tickets successful bulk arsenic helium had promised galore radical that helium would publication tickets for them and had besides collected beforehand from them. The complainant institution declined his request.

Similarly, BookMyShow besides received emails from 1 Arjun Singh who informed the institution that determination were respective WhatsApp groups wherever chartless individuals were selling tickets for the performance astatine unreasonable rates.

BookMyShow verified the claims by carrying retired a preliminary enquiry and prepared a database of specified individuals, Instagram accounts and websites. This database includes a web leafage called viagogo.com.

Based connected the ailment the Vile Parle constabulary registered a lawsuit nether sections 318(4) and 319 (2) of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) and 66(C) of the Information Technology Act against the chartless persons and commenced an investigation, said a constabulary officer.

“We person provided details of each the resellers that person travel to our attention, including autarkic individuals reselling tickets for this circuit crossed societal media platforms specified arsenic Instagram, WhatsApp and beyond, and adjacent integer platforms specified arsenic Stubhub Holdings and more, successful bid to assistance authorities successful a thorough investigation,” said a BookMyShow spokesperson.

In an interrogation with The Indian Express, Viagogo, which describes itself arsenic a secondary marketplace wherever sellers database tickets for events they are incapable to be and acceptable their ain prices, clarified that it neither sells tickets nor sets summons prices.

“Viagogo is simply a safe, unafraid and regulated planetary marketplace that is unfastened to all. Our level is afloat compliant with Indian instrumentality – arsenic it is successful each markets successful which it operates. Our fig 1 precedence is to supply a harmless enactment for fans to get tickets. We beryllium to get fans into once-in-a-lifetime unrecorded events – similar Coldplay. To backmost that up we supply a warrant that ensures fans person their tickets successful clip for the lawsuit and successful the uncommon lawsuit of an issue, replacement tickets oregon their wealth back,” the institution said successful an email exchange.

Viagogo besides emphasised its committedness to ineligible compliance: “We instrumentality our ineligible obligations precise seriously. Whenever contacted by applicable authorities regarding immoderate investigation, Viagogo afloat cooperates and meets each its ineligible responsibilities.”

Addressing rumours of a imaginable performance cancellation, BookMyShow, the promoter and authoritative ticketing spouse for Coldplay’s circuit successful India, clarified: “Coldplay’s Music Of The Spheres World Tour 2025 successful India volition proceed arsenic planned. Reports to the contrary are factually incorrect.”

The level added that it remains vigilant successful monitoring summons reselling done black-market channels and volition proceed to stock applicable accusation with the authorities to guarantee due enactment is taken.

“BookMyShow is besides assessing the imaginable cancellation of tickets which were sold unethically,” the spokesperson added, reiterating the platform’s deficiency of relation with immoderate unauthorised ticket-selling oregon reselling platforms and/or third-party individuals.

Earlier this week, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai constabulary questioned Anil Makhija, COO of Big Tree Entertainment (owner of BookMyShow), for 4 hours connected Monday. The EOW besides issued a 2nd summons to Ashish Hemrajani, CEO of Big Tree Entertainment, and the company’s method caput aft they failed to look for an enquiry connected Saturday.