The ED carried out search operations in Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, Chandigarh (Punjab) and Bengaluru in connection with the illegal sale of tickets for Coldplay and Diljit Dosanjh Dil-Luminati concerts.

During searches conducted in five states on October 25, incriminating materials such as mobile phones, laptops and SIM cards used in the “scam” were seized. The searches were carried out after several FIRs were registered in various states regarding fraudulent sale of tickets.

Were sold at Rs 1 lakh

• Tickets for the concerts were reportedly sold in the gray market for up to Rs 1 lakh each.
• The ED has identified several culprits involved in alleged wrongdoing through social media platforms like Instagram, WhatsApp and Telegram.
• BookMyShow has filed an FIR against several suspects, alleging that they indulged in selling counterfeit tickets and inflating prices, taking advantage of the high demand.

The concerts, part of Coldplay’s ‘Music of the Spheres’ and Diljit Dosanjh’s ‘Dil-Luminati’ world tour, generated immense enthusiasm among music lovers, leading to rapid sale of tickets on official platforms like BookMyShow and Zomato Live.

However, this demand has led to tickets being sold on the black market at exorbitant prices and there are numerous reports of people being tricked or misled by fraudulent ticket sales.

BookMyShow has filed an FIR against several suspects, alleging that they indulged in selling counterfeit tickets and price gouging, taking advantage of the high demand.

In a related development, the Delhi High Court on Thursday sought the Centre’s response on a plea seeking a regulatory framework to regulate the resale of such concert tickets through authorized platforms. A bench comprising Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela issued notice to the ministries of Information, Broadcasting, Electronics and Information Technology, private entities Stubhub Inc, Viagogo Entertainment Inc and Bigtree Entertainment Pvt Ltd.

The court said responses should be filed within four weeks and postponed the hearing to February 18, 2025.

The High Court is hearing complaints about alleged irregularities in the sale of tickets for the two concerts. — With PTI inputs