Coldplay, Diljit concerts: ED probes ‘illegal’ sale of tickets

“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,” the ED said in a statement, adding that “several incriminating materials such as mobile phones, laptops, SIM cards etc used in the scam were seized”.

While the ‘Dil-Luminati’ concert by Dosanjh is being held over the weekend (October 26-27) at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in Delhi, Coldplay’s ‘Music of the Spheres World Tour’ concert is scheduled to be held in January 2025 at Navi Mumbai.

Citing “numerous reports” of people being “deceived/ cheated through fraudulent ticket sales”, the ED said some were sold fake tickets while others were 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. The FIR alleges that these individuals have engaged in selling counterfeit tickets and drastically inflating prices, taking advantage of the high demand for these coveted concerts,” the statement said.

The official ticketing partners, Bookmyshow and Zomato Live, reported that tickets sold out in just minutes on their platforms, which ultimately led to black-marketing at exorbitant prices, it said.

The ED’s searches and investigation revealed information regarding multiple individuals known for providing such tickets, including fake tickets, through social media using Instagram, WhatsApp and Telegram, it said, adding that further investigation was underway.