Delhi High Court on Wednesday agreed to review public interest litigation (PIL) Filing of Proceedings scalpingthe practice of reselling event tickets at high prices.
A bench of Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedeal issued notice in the matter and sought responses from the federal Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY), Finance Ministry, Information and Broadcasting Ministry and other respondents.
The plea termed the practice of ticket scalping as “unlawful, manipulative and exploitative” and sought directions to set up a committee to investigate “the practice of ticket scalping” in a recently scheduled concert by actor-singer Diljit Dosanjh. Scalping occurred at unprecedented levels. It will be held in the capital on October 26.
In addition, it seeks to develop clear guidelines to prevent the illegal activities of black marketing of tickets or establish a legal framework to govern the practice of “ticket scalping”. “This practice undermines the principles of a fair market and in many cases involves the use of bots or unethical tactics to hoard tickets before legitimate buyers have a chance,” it said.
The PIL added that the practice of ticket scalping distorts the fairness of the ticket purchasing process and undermines the fan experience by creating an environment where only those willing to pay exorbitant fees can attend events.
The report said scalping adversely affects government revenue because transactions are conducted through informal or unregulated channels and much of the revenue escapes the official tax system.
The petition, filed by advocate Jatin Yadav, highlights the need for a strong legal framework, enforcement and technical measures to curb the negative impact of vote scalping to promote fair ticketing practices Ensure a fairer and more transparent consumer protection system.
