The Delhi High Court on Thursday called for the Centre’s response to a petition seeking the establishment of a regulatory framework to control the resale of concert tickets and prevent illegal sales activities. Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela directed the Union Ministries of Information and Broadcasting, and Electronics and Information Technology, as well as private entities such as Stubhub Inc, Viagogo Entertainment Inc, and Bigtree Entertainment Pvt Ltd, to submit their responses within four weeks.
The court has scheduled the next hearing for February 18, 2025, to coincide with a similar petition already on the docket. The current petition, brought forward by Samridhi and four others, represented by senior advocate Rajshekhar Rao and advocate Malak Bhatt, highlights issues particularly relevant to an upcoming music concert by British rock band Coldplay. It argues that while online platforms like BookmyShow (owned by Bigtree Entertainment Pvt Ltd) are supposed to provide a convenient digital ticketing solution, they need to implement stronger safeguards against black-market sales and the unauthorized resale of tickets.
The plea points out that high-demand events such as cricket matches, concerts, and live shows often see a surge in ticket scalping, where tickets are sold at significantly inflated prices through unauthorized channels, exploiting the general public. It specifically mentions the unauthorized sale of Coldplay concert tickets, despite the band’s partnership with BookmyShow to handle legitimate sales and prevent such issues.
The petitioners have urged the court to direct the Centre to block online platforms that engage in these unlawful resale activities in India. They argue that the lack of regulation not only distorts the fairness of the ticket-buying process but also severely undermines the fan experience by limiting access to events to those who can afford to pay exorbitant prices.
The plea also references a previous public interest litigation (PIL) that the same bench had considered, which tackled the “illegal, manipulative and exploitative” practice of ticket scalping. This earlier case sought the formation of a committee to investigate similar issues that arose during the “Dil-Luminati Tour” concert of artist Diljit Dosanjh, scheduled at the JLN Stadium in Delhi.
