On Wednesday, the Delhi High Court issued notices to the Central government and ticketing platforms, including Zomato, Stubhub, Viagog and Ticombo, in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) concerning the illegal practice of ticket scalping for music concerts and other events.
The petition filed by Rohan Gupta highlighted widespread instances of ticket scalping during the concerts of artists like Karan Aujla and Diljit Dosanjh. Ticket scalping which involves the use of bots to hoard tickets and resell them at inflated prices, has been flagged as an exploitative and manipulative practice that disadvantages genuine fans. Gupta’s plea called for the formation of a committee to establish guidelines to curb the black marketing of tickets and regulate the practice under the law.
During the hearing, the Counsel for the State argued that the issue falls under Section 112 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deals with petty organised offences. Chief Justice Manmohan, presiding with Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, pointed out that the plea mentioned the use of bots and potential collusion in the ticket hoarding process.
The Court noted that the plea’s argument that ticket scalping undermines fair market principles and disproportionately impacts socio-economic equality by making events inaccessible to regular fans. The petitioner emphasised the need for a strong legal framework, better enforcement, and technological interventions to prevent such practices, ensuring fairness and transparency in ticket sales. The Court had scheduled the next hearing for February 18, 2025.
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