Mumbai, Delhi and Jaipur among places searched by ED in connection with illegal sale of tickets for Coldplay and Diljit Dosanjh’s Dilluminati concerts

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has conducted searches in Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, Chandigarh and Bangalore in connection with the illegal sale of tickets for Coldplay and Diljit Dosanjh’s Dilluminati concerts.

In an exciting announcement for music lovers across India, two highly anticipated concerts will captivate audiences: Diljit Dosanjh’s “Dilluminati” and Coldplay’s “Music of the Spheres World Tour”. Both events have created huge excitement, with leading official ticket partners, Bookmyshow and Zomato Live, reporting that tickets were sold out within minutes on their platforms, ultimately leading to black marketing of tickets at exorbitant prices.

Following the rapid sell-out, numerous reports have emerged of individuals being misled/cheated through fraudulent ticket sales. Many fans have discovered that they have been sold counterfeit tickets or charged exorbitant prices for legitimate tickets.

Multiple FIRs have been filed in various states across the country, including an FIR filed by Bookmyshow against several suspects for allegedly exploiting concert goers. The FIR alleges that these persons have been engaged in selling fake tickets and drastically inflating prices, taking advantage of the high demand for these coveted concerts.

ED probe on the way in the matter

ED has initiated an investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002 and conducted searches at multiple locations in 5 states of Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, Bengaluru and Chandigarh at more than 13 locations under the provisions on 25.10.2024 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) under which several incriminating materials such as mobile phones, laptops, SIM cards, etc. used in the scam were seized. This action aimed to investigate the illegal sale of tickets and the financial networks that support these scams, and to trace the proceeds of crime arising from such illegal activities.

Normally, tickets are available on platforms like Zomato, BookMyShow and others. However, when demand for concerts is very high, these tickets sell out quickly, causing people to look for alternative sources. Searches and investigations conducted by ED have revealed information about multiple persons known for issuing such tickets, including fake tickets through social media using Instagram, WhatsApp and telegram. Further research is being conducted.