Amit Vyas, the lawyer who had filed a police complaint against the promoters of the Coldplay concert in Navi Mumbai, has now filed a public interest litigation (PIL) at the Bombay High Court. Vyas has urged the government to establish rules to curb ticket black marketing.
Earlier, he was unable to buy tickets for Coldplay’s January 2025 concert and took legal action. Vyas's complaint is under investigation by the Economic Offences Wing of Mumbai Police. He filed the PIL on October 19. He argued that there should be strong measures in place to prevent ticket touting.
The PIL was presented in front of a bench consisting of Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyay and Justice Amit Borkar. The bench said the case could wait since investigations were already underway. The court is likely to hear the case after the Diwali holidays, with the next hearing expected on November 11.
Vyas’s petition calls for the formation of an expert panel. He suggested that the panel be led by a former high court judge, with cyber experts included, to study and propose ways to regulate ticket sales for important events. The panel would need to consider issues like tax implications, public entertainment rights, and fairness.
Additionally, the PIL asks for the creation of a monitoring committee to oversee the implementation of security measures in online ticketing systems. This committee would also be headed by a former high court judge. It would consult with authorities to make sure proper measures are in place.
The PIL also seeks cooperation from companies like BookMyShow and event promoters Live Nation, Viagogo, and Big Tree Entertainment. These companies would be required to provide data, such as ticketing contracts and customer information, and grant access to servers for review. The review would cover Coldplay concert ticket sales on September 22, 2024.
Vyas also urged that illegal ticket purchases be cancelled and resold. He accused black marketers of using bots to quickly buy large amounts of tickets by bypassing restrictions. These bots can operate under multiple IP addresses and identities, sometimes even forming botnets to carry out bulk purchases.
However, similar problems were reported during other major events, including the 2023 Cricket World Cup, IPL matches, and concerts by Taylor Swift and Diljit Dosanjh. As a result, genuine customers face difficulty securing tickets.
The PIL also highlights that e-commerce companies are bound by the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020. These rules require fair practices. PIL suggests that companies like BookMyShow are not following the guidelines since there are no effective regulations for the ticketing industry.
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