On Monday, 30th September, the Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) issued summons to the CEO of Big Tree Entertainment Private Limited, Ashish Hemrajani, concerning the alleged black marketing of the tickets for the Coldplay concert. Notably, this is the second summons notice sent to Hemrajani in the issue as the person in question failed to appear before the authorities.
“Mumbai Police’s EOW sent a summons to CEO Ashish Hemrajani of Big Tree Entertainment Private Limited, the parent company of BookMyShow, and the company’s technical head yesterday. EOW had sent them summons earlier on September 27th but they didn’t appear before the agency. They have been asked to appear before the investigating officer today and record their statements. Advocate Amit Vyas had complained to EOW about the alleged black marketing of the Coldplay concert tickets,” the Mumbai Police was quoted as saying in the statement.
Mumbai Police's EOW sent summons to CEO Ashish Hemrajani of Big Tree Entertainment Private Limited, the parent company of BookMyShow and the company's technical head yesterday. EOW had sent them summons earlier on Sep 27 but they didn't appear before the agency. They have been…
— ANI (@ANI) September 30, 2024
Ashish Hemrajani is the CEO of Big Tree Entertainment Private Limited which is the parent company of BookMyShow. As per the reports, the tickets for Coldplay’s ‘Music Of The Spheres World Tour 2025’ in India price are Rs 2500 but the resellers and the influencers are selling the same for as much as Rs 3 lac.
A spokesperson for BookMyShow responded to the charges, saying “With 13 million (1.3 crore) fans eager to get tickets and logged in, emotions ran high on September 22nd for Coldplay’s Music Of The Spheres World Tour 2025 in India.” The company also stated that they had taken steps to ensure fair ticket allocation, including limiting sales to four tickets per user and adding a third Mumbai concert owing to high demand. The representative also addressed the problem of unauthorized ticket-selling platforms.
“BookMyShow has no association with any such unauthorized ticket selling/reselling platforms including, but not limited to Viagogo and Ginsberg or third-party individuals, to resell Coldplay’s Music Of The Spheres World Tour 2025 in India,” the statement read.
The company representative also stated that due to extraordinary demand, a third Mumbai show was added. “We implemented a queueing system to manage the overwhelming demand and addressed issues, resulting in a brief delay but ensuring minimal disruption for genuine fans. Due to the unusual demand, a third Mumbai show was added shortly after, and it also had a tremendous response,” he added.
Regarding black marketing, the representative claimed, “Scalping and black marketing of tickets is strictly condemned and punishable by law in India, and BookMyShow vehemently opposes this practice.” They stated that the corporation had filed a complaint with the police and was fully cooperating with the authorities in the investigation. Further, the spokesperson warned the fans and said that any ticket brought through unfair means would be at their own risk and advised that the fans shall buy tickets only by legal way.
The incident of alleged black marketing came to the fore when one Advocate Amit Vyas accused BookMyShow of fooling the public, especially Coldplay fans, and asked the police to file an FIR on fraud charges. The EOW recorded Vyas’ comments and identified other brokers who allegedly engaged in ticket scalping. Further investigations are underway, and additional summons are expected to be issued.
Who are Coldplay
Coldplay has been making news ever since the band announced their ‘Music of the Spheres’ World Tour, which includes India. On September 22nd, tickets for its show in Mumbai went on sale, and they sold out within a few hours. People in India are becoming increasingly interested in Coldplay as a result of the band’s tremendous popularity.
Coldplay is a British rock band made up of four members: Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman, Will Champion, and Philip Harvey. The group was created in 1997 and was previously known as ‘Big Fat Noises and ‘Starfish’.
Coldplay’s lead guitarist is Jonny Buckland, while Chris Martin is the main vocalist and pianist. Guy Berryman and Will Champion are the bassist and drummer, respectively. The trio made their debut in 2000 with the album ‘Parachutes’ and soared to prominence with the album’s single ‘Yellow’.
Coldplay has a strong fan base in India, owing to the country’s massive English-speaking population. The band has repeatedly proclaimed their affection for India, and they even shot the music video for their song ‘Hymn Of The Weekend’ in Mumbai. The video showed Indian culture, including temples, priests, colorful cabs, Mumbai’s Maratha Mandir, rivers, the Holi festival, and much more.
Coldplay ticket booking issue
Coldplay’s ticket prices in India ranged from Rs 2500 to Rs 35,000. BookMyShow tickets were reported sold out within a few minutes, and the website and app crashed due to overwhelming usage. Several netizens also alleged the tickets are being resold as high as Rs. 3 lakh. BookMyShow formally issued a warning to the public via social media, reminding them that ticket reselling is illegal in India.
“It has come to our attention that unauthorized platforms are listing tickets for Coldplay’s Music Of The Spheres World Tour 2025 in India, both before and after the official sale. These tickets are invalid. Ticket scalping is illegal in India and punishable by law. Please don’t fall prey to this because you will be buying fake tickets. Avoid scams! BookMyShow is the only official platform for ticket sales,” the warning read.
Their most popular songs include Yellow, Clocks, Fix You, Paradise, Viva La Vida, A Sky Full Of Stars, Hymn For The Weekend, Adventure Of A Lifetime, and Orphans, among others.
The Coldplay concert, which will take place from January 19 to 21, 2025, at DY Patil Stadium, is one of the most widely anticipated events. The event is slated for January 19-21st, 2025, at DY Patil Stadium.
