Bombay HC: Advises Police Action Against Ticket Scalping

The Bombay HC, considering a PIL against ticket scalping, observed that the petition aims to order the State to establish rules, which is a role of policy-making.

The petition was filed accusing ticket booking platform BookMyShow of manipulating Coldplay ticket sales. The website crashed at the start of the sale, preventing fans from buying tickets. These tickets then appeared on Viagogo at prices 30-40 times higher.

The petitioner contends that ticket scalpers use bots to buy tickets quickly and resell them at inflated prices, exploiting the lack of regulations and violating consumers' right to entertainment under  Article 21.

The Court recommended alternative legal avenues like contacting a magistrate or filing a police complaint and withheld its decision, emphasizing that the State's entertainment tax does not guarantee protection against black market sales.