BookMyShow Files FIR in Coldplay Concert Ticket Scam as COO Fails to Appear Before Economic Offences Wing

A new development has emerged regarding the Coldplay concert scheduled for January 2025 at DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. BookMyShow, facing allegations of illegal ticket sales for the concert, has filed a First Information Report (FIR) against an unidentified individual at the Ville Parle police station.

In its complaint, BookMyShow stated that when it began ticket sales on September 22, it had clearly specified that tickets should not be purchased from third parties. During this period, they received emails from two individuals, Ashwin and Arjun Singh, requesting the booking of maximum tickets. The emails also mentioned that they promised to secure tickets for people and had collected money from them. Furthermore, they received several WhatsApp messages from others making similar requests, but these were denied.

Subsequently, it was revealed that certain unidentified individuals were cheating people under the guise of securing tickets for the concert. Following BookMyShow's complaint, the Ville Parle police registered a case against the unknown accused under IT Act Section 66(C) and relevant sections of the BNS Act, and are now engaged in further investigation.

On the other hand, Anil Makhija, COO of BookMyShow, did not appear before the Economic Offenses Wing (EOW) investigating the ticket black market. The EOW had summoned him on Wednesday to present all documents related to ticket sales, but he failed to comply. During an inquiry two days prior, Makhija stated that they had purchased 120,000 tickets from the Coldplay band at prices ranging from ₹2,500 to ₹3,500, asserting that BookMyShow was the only partner in the sales, with no third parties involved. He claimed that his company had no role in the ticket black marketing. Due to Makhija's absence on Thursday, the Economic Offences Wing is preparing to issue another summons to him.