The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought the response of the Central government and ticketing platforms Zomato, Stubhub, Viagog and Ticombo to a public interest litigation (PIL) petition seeking action against the illegal practice 'ticket scalping' for music concerts and similar such events.
Ticket scalping is the practice of bots buying large number of tickets and reselling them at inflated prices for profit at the expense of the general public.
The plea filed by one Rohan Gupta highlighted that this practice was widely seen during the concerts of singers Karan Aujla and Diljit Dosanjh this year.
Hence, a committee should be constituted to look into ticket scalping, formulate guidelines to prevent black marketing of tickets and to bring the practice within the purview of law.
The practice is illegal, manipulative and exploitative practice, it was submitted.
A Bench of Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela issued notice to the Union of India and other respondents and posted the case for further hearing on February 18, 2025.
During the hearing, counsel for the State argued that Gupta's plea is covered under Section 112 (petty organized offence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
In response, the Chief Justice remarked that the current plea mentions the involvement of computers and bots in hoarding tickets, suggesting that there might be collusion between parties.
The predatory resellers engaging in unethical practice of ticket scalping makes events less accessible to genuine fans and allowing unscrupulous scalpers to exploit high demand, the plea said.
"This practice undermines the principles of fair market and, in many cases, involves the use of bots or unethical tactics to hoard tickets before legitimate buyers have a chance," it was contended.
Predatory resellers engaging in the unethical practice of ticket scalping make events less accessible to genuine fans and allow unscrupulous scalpers to take advantage of high demand, the petitioner contended.
"Such events are often meant to unite communities, foster cultural appreciation, and provide joy across social strata, but scalping turns them into exclusive experiences for those who can pay inflated prices. This further widens the gap between different socioeconomic groups, eroding the sense of fairness in access to entertainment."
The plea said that a robust legal framework, effective enforcement and technological measures are needed to mitigate the adverse effects of ticket scalping.
There should be fair ticketing practices to ensure a more equitable and transparent system that protects consumers, it was submitted.
Advocates Gaurav Dua, Jatin Yadav, Daksh Gupta and Saurabh Dua appeared for the petitioner.