Coldplay tickets row: BookMyShow COO appears before Mumbai police

Anil Makhija, COO of Big Tree Entertainment, faced Mumbai Police over allegations of ticket manipulation for Coldplay's concert.

Big Tree Entertainment COO, parent company of BookMyShow, Anil Makhija, appeared before Mumbai Police’s EOW amid row of Coldplay concert tickets while CEO Ashish Hemrajani missed his second summon. BookMyShow used bots to hinder genuine purchases and inflated the digital queue, the complaint alleged.

BookMyShow COO Anil Makhija was questioned by Mumbai Police regarding Coldplay concert ticket complaints, as CEO Ashish Hemrajani skipped another summons. The company refuted claims of using bots, emphasizing their commitment to fair ticketing and denouncing scalping practices.

BookMyShow issued an official statement denying any involvement in ticket manipulation. A spokesperson for the ticketing platform said, "With 13 million (1.3 crore) fans eager to get tickets and logged in, emotions ran high on September 22nd on BookMyShow for Coldplay’s tour in India. We worked hard to ensure every fan had a fair chance to secure tickets, capping it at four per user across all shows."

The company also said that a queueing system was implemented to handle the overwhelming demand. There was a brief delay in the process but the system “ensured minimal disruption for genuine fans” the company said.

Condemning unauthorized ticket resellers, the company said, "We have no association with any such platforms, including Viagogo and Gigsberg," the spokesperson added. "Scalping and black marketing of tickets is strictly condemned and punishable by law in India and BookMyShow vehemently opposes this practice. We have not only filed a complaint with the police authorities but are also proactively working with them to provide complete support in the investigation of this matter in any manner that may be required."