Coldplay concert: EOW summons BookMyShow CEO after lawyer alleges ticketing scam
The complaint alleged that the official ticketing platform for the concert conspired with various black-market operators to hoard tickets, which were later made available at highly inflated rates on their websites
MUMBAI: The Mumbai police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has summoned Ashish Hemrajani, chief executive of ticketing platform BookMyShow, following a complaint lodged by a lawyer alleging a scam related to selling tickets for the Coldplay concerts in January 2025.
The complaint alleged that BookMyShow, the official ticketing platform for the concert, conspired with various black-market operators to hoard tickets, which were later made available at highly inflated rates on their websites.
Thousands of fans of the British rock band were left disappointed after tickets for its three January concerts in Navi Mumbai sold out within minutes earlier this week. The massive demand also led to the BookMyShow website and app crashing minutes before the tickets went live at noon on September 22. Several fans then posted on social media about seeing tickets for the concert selling for lakhs of rupees on unofficial platforms.
One such disappointed fan, lawyer Amit Vyas, filed a complaint with the EOW, alleging that BookMyShow conspired with ticket reselling platforms such as Viagogo to black-market the concert tickets, thereby cheating and defrauding him and other Coldplay fans.
“The sale of the concert tickets was controlled by BookMyShow in such a manner that the genuine customers... were intentionally logged out of the platform seconds before 12 noon [on September 22], the time when the tickets went live, or were not allowed to access the platform to buy tickets for the concert,” the complaint said.
{{/usCountry}}“The sale of the concert tickets was controlled by BookMyShow in such a manner that the genuine customers... were intentionally logged out of the platform seconds before 12 noon [on September 22], the time when the tickets went live, or were not allowed to access the platform to buy tickets for the concert,” the complaint said.
{{/usCountry}}“However, simultaneously, the tickets were made available to Viagogo in bulk, which started black-marketing these tickets at very high prices. A ticket which was sold at ₹2,500 [on BookMyShow] was sold at ₹96,300 [on reselling platforms], which went up to ₹2,50,000,” it added.
{{/usCountry}}“However, simultaneously, the tickets were made available to Viagogo in bulk, which started black-marketing these tickets at very high prices. A ticket which was sold at ₹2,500 [on BookMyShow] was sold at ₹96,300 [on reselling platforms], which went up to ₹2,50,000,” it added.
{{/usCountry}}After receiving the complaint, the EOW registered a “preliminary inquiry” into the matter and asked BookMyShow CEO Hemrajani to appear before an investigating officer in the next two days, said a senior police officer from the unit. “At this stage we are just trying to understand the matter and ascertain the claims made in the complaint,” added the officer, who requested anonymity as they aren’t authorised to speak to the media.
{{/usCountry}}After receiving the complaint, the EOW registered a “preliminary inquiry” into the matter and asked BookMyShow CEO Hemrajani to appear before an investigating officer in the next two days, said a senior police officer from the unit. “At this stage we are just trying to understand the matter and ascertain the claims made in the complaint,” added the officer, who requested anonymity as they aren’t authorised to speak to the media.
{{/usCountry}}BookMyShow declined to comment. In a social media post on September 22, the company had warned users about unauthorised platforms listing “fake” and “invalid” tickets for the concert, which will be held at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on January 18, 19 and 21.
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