Mumbai Police Summon BookMyShow CEO Over Coldplay Concert Ticket Black Marketing
The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Police has issued fresh summons to Ashish Hemrajani, CEO of Big Tree Entertainment, the parent company of BookMyShow, and the company’s technical head. They are to appear for questioning on Monday regarding an investigation into the alleged black marketing of Coldplay concert tickets.
Hemrajani and the technical head were summoned for the second time after failing to appear on September 27. The police stated that neither has contacted them yet.
The investigation began after Advocate Amit Vyas filed a complaint accusing BookMyShow of facilitating the black marketing of tickets for Coldplay’s concert, scheduled for January 18, 19, and 21, 2025, at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
BookMyShow issued a statement on Saturday, explaining their efforts to ensure fair ticketing. A spokesperson said, “With 13 million fans eager to get tickets, emotions ran high on September 22nd for Coldplay’s ‘Music Of The Spheres’ World Tour 2025 in India. We worked hard to ensure every fan had a fair chance to secure tickets, capping it at 4 tickets per user across all shows, providing clear booking guides, and maintaining transparent communication.”
Addressing unauthorized ticket sales, BookMyShow mentioned, “It came to our notice that unauthorized platforms listed tickets for Coldplay’s tour in India, both before and after the official sale. BookMyShow has no association with such platforms, including Viagogo and Gigsberg.”
Condemning black marketing, the statement added, “Scalping and black marketing of tickets is strictly condemned and punishable by law in India. BookMyShow vehemently opposes this practice and has filed a complaint with the police. We are working with authorities to support the investigation. Consumers are warned that tickets from unauthorized sources may be invalid or fake.”
Coldplay announced their ‘Music of the Sphere’ World Tour on September 18, initially planning two shows at DY Patil Stadium but added a third show on January 21 due to high demand.
Doubts Revealed
Mumbai Police -: Mumbai Police are the police force responsible for maintaining law and order in Mumbai, a big city in India.
BookMyShow -: BookMyShow is a popular website and app in India where people can buy tickets for movies, concerts, and other events.
CEO -: CEO stands for Chief Executive Officer. This person is the boss of a company and makes important decisions.
Coldplay -: Coldplay is a famous music band from the UK. They sing popular songs and perform concerts all over the world.
Black Marketing -: Black marketing means selling something illegally, often at a higher price than usual.
Economic Offences Wing -: The Economic Offences Wing is a special part of the police that deals with crimes related to money, like fraud or black marketing.
Ashish Hemrajani -: Ashish Hemrajani is the CEO of Big Tree Entertainment, the company that owns BookMyShow.
Advocate -: An advocate is a lawyer who helps people with legal issues and represents them in court.
DY Patil Stadium -: DY Patil Stadium is a big sports and event venue in Navi Mumbai, where many important events and concerts happen.