By Sanjeev Kumar Patro

Bhubaneswar: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) steps into the alleged ticket scalping in two big-bang music concerts – Coldplay's "Music of the Spheres Mumbai Tour" and Diljeet Dosanjh's "Dilluminati".

As per an ED release, the anti-money laundering agency has conducted search operations at 13 locations in five states like Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, Chandigarh, and Bangalore in relation to illegal sale of tickets of Coldplay and Diljeet Dosanjh’ s Dilluminati concerts.

While the Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres world tour concert will be held in Mumbai from Jan18-21, 2025, the Diljit Dosajnh’s Dil Luminati will be held from October 26- December 4 in places like Delhi, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Ahmadabad, Lucknow, Pune, Indore, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and jaipur. The Delhi tour will be held on Oct 26-27.

WHY ED PROBE?

The ED statement said, the two highly anticipated concerts have generated immense excitement leading to the official ticketing partners, Bookmyshow and Zomato Live, report that tickets sold out in just minutes on their platforms.

The statement further added, “Which ultimately led to black-marketing of tickets at exorbitant prices. Following the rapid sellout, numerous reports have emerged of individuals being deceived/cheated through fraudulent ticket sales. Many fans have discovered that they were sold fake tickets or charged exorbitant prices for legitimate ones. Multiple FIRs have been filed in various states across the country including an FIR filed by Bookmyshow against several suspects believed to be exploiting concert goers.”

As per the FIR filed by Bookmyshow, it alleges that individuals have engaged in selling counterfeit tickets and drastically inflating prices, taking advantage of the high demand for these coveted concerts.

In the given backdrop, ED has initiated investigation under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 and conducted searches in 5 states today. The agency has seized several incriminating materials such as Mobile phones, laptops, sim cards etc used in the scam.

The ED release stated that this action was aimed to investigate the illegal sales of tickets and the financial networks supporting these scams and to trace the Proceeds of Crime generated from such illegal activities. Further investigation is under progress, says the ED release.

The ED action on the ‘ticket scam’ alludes to Ticket Scalping.

BACKGROUND

Diljit Dosanjh, a popular Punjabi singer and actor, having a massive fan following both in India and internationally. His concerts are always in high demand. His 2024 India tour was also no exception. But the allegations of ticket scalping hit the 2024 tour. A wave of complaints about ticket scalping and black marketing popped up across the states for the following reasons

• .Complaints cropped up on social media on how tickets being resold on unauthorized platforms at price four to five times the original cost. Disappointed fans tagged the organizers and the artist himself, hoping for some intervention.
• Concert organisers made efforts to crack down on scalping. But going by the demand supply theory, the scalpers had a field day. 
• This incident zoomed on the growing challenge of black marketing, even in events that implement security measures.
• Similar was the case for Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres India tour

• The tickets were sold out within minutes. 
• But reports have come across where tickets initially priced between ₹2,500 and ₹12,000, were found being resold on third-party platforms for more than ₹9,00,000. 
• The allegation was tickets were being resold at inflated prices even before they were released on the official platform. 
• Concerns raised about the use of bots (robots) or automation tools to purchase large quantities of tickets for resale.
• Fans questioned whether the ticketing platforms had implemented adequate measures to prevent such practice.

TICKET SCALPING

Even as allegations with regard to widespread practicing of ticket scalping in India has been in news for some time ago, the menace occupied the spotlight now and has, even, reached the Delhi High Court recently. The Delhi HC on Wednesday issued notice to Centre, Delhi govt, Department of trade and taxes and Zomato on a plea to set up a committee to probe ticket scalping in Diljit Dosanjh’s Di Luminati India tour. The next hearing has been fixed by Delhi HC on Feb 18, 2025.

WHAT IS TICKET SCALPING?

Ticket scalping is used to describe the act of individuals or entities buying tickets for specific events, and then reselling such tickets at a higher price to book a profit.

INDIA HAS LAWS TO CHECK IT?

The counsel of Delhi government in High Court has argued that Ticket Scalping comes under Section 112 of Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita. 

112 BNS: This sections states that whoever, being a member of a group or gang, either singly or jointly, commits any act of theft, snatching, cheating, unauthorised selling of tickets, unauthorised betting or gambling, selling of public examination question papers or any other similar criminal act, is said to commit petty organised crime. The section mandates punishment up to 7 years.

But the section has been silent on ticket re-sale. Maharashtra is the only State in India that has a legal provision against re-selling of tickets.

Maharashtra Entertainment Duty Act 1923: This Act very specifically prohibits reselling of tickets for certain event above their face value.

At present, no other states, including Odisha, have any law that prohibits ticket scalping.

WHY TICKET SCALPING RAMPANT?

A look at the legal provisions brought to fore the following.

• Primary legislation governing ticket scalping in India is the Indian Contract Act, 1872.
• As per the Contract Act, a contract for the sale of a ticket is valid if it meets the essential elements of a contract, namely, offer, acceptance, consideration, and lawful object. 
• Therefore, if a buyer is willing to pay over and above the face value for a ticket, it will be a valid contract, unless there is cheating or fraudulent inducement for the delivery of the said ticket.

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