'Black Market' Coldplay Concert Tickets: BookMyShow CEO called in by Mumbai Police over ticket scalping claims

Mumbai Police has called in the CEO and technical head of BookMyShow's parent company to probe allegations of black-market ticket sales for the upcoming Coldplay concerts in Mumbai. CEO Ashish Hemrajani of Big Tree Entertainment Private Limited and the technical head are to appear before the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) on Saturday.

The summons follows a complaint by advocate Amit Vyas, who alleged that tickets for the Coldplay concerts, scheduled for January 18, 19, and 21, were being resold at excessive prices shortly after their official release on September 22. Tickets, originally priced at Rs 2,500, were reportedly being resold for up to Rs 3 lakh.

All tickets for the initial shows sold out quickly, prompting Coldplay to add a third show on January 21, which also sold out. BookMyShow, the authorized ticketing partner for the concerts, stated that unauthorized reselling and scalping are illegal and punishable by law in India.


"We have filed a complaint with the police authorities and will provide complete support to them in the investigation," BookMyShow said in its statement.

The company also warned fans of potential risks of buying tickets from unauthorized sources, which could turn out to be fake. Fans were advised to purchase tickets only through official channels. Mumbai Police's EOW has already taken the statement of Vyas and identified several brokers involved in the alleged ticket scalping. Further investigations are ongoing.

Coldplay, the British rock band, is set to perform in India after an eight-year break. Their concerts are among the most anticipated events this year.