Delhi High Court Takes On Ticket Scalping Crisis

The Delhi High Court has sought responses from both the Centre and Delhi government on a PIL concerning the alleged illegal practice of ticket scalping. The practice inflates ticket prices and undermines fairness for fans. The court also issued notices to private ticketing companies, addressing concerns about fostering a black market.

The Delhi High Court, on Thursday, sought reactions from the Centre and Delhi government regarding a public interest litigation (PIL) highlighting 'illegal, manipulative and exploitative' ticket scalping practices. These practices involve reselling event tickets at increased prices.

A bench featuring Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela has issued notices to the Union ministries of Electronics and Information Technology, Information and Broadcasting, Finance, and the Delhi government's Department of Trade and Taxes. The petitioner, Rohan Gupta, pointed out upcoming concerts by Coldplay, Diljit Dosanjh, and Karan Aujla as affected events.

The petition argued that ticket scalping distorts the ticket-buying process, creating an unfair environment where fans pay exorbitant sums. It also claimed scalping promotes a black market for fraudulent tickets, urging authorities to craft clear guidelines to curb illegal ticket resales. A direction to form a committee to investigate issues related to events like Dosanjh's Dil-Luminati Tour was suggested. In response, Delhi government standing counsel Santosh Kumar Tripathi mentioned that Section 112 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita already covers the illegal sale of tickets.

(With inputs from agencies.)