The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought responses from the Central government and ticketing platforms Zomato, Stubhub, Viagog, and Ticombo in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) petition seeking action against the illegal practice of 'ticket scalping' at music concerts and similar events.

Ticket scalping refers to the use of bots to purchase large quantities of tickets, which are then resold at inflated prices for profit, disadvantaging the general public.

The petition, filed by Rohan Gupta, highlighted that ticket scalping was prevalent during the concerts of singers Karan Aujla and Diljit Dosanjh this year.

Gupta requested the formation of a committee to investigate ticket scalping, create guidelines to prevent ticket black marketing, and regulate the practice under the law. The petition argued that ticket scalping is illegal, manipulative, and exploitative.

A Bench of Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela issued notice to the Union of India and the respondents, scheduling the next hearing for February 18, 2025.

During the proceedings, counsel for the State submitted that Gupta's plea falls under Section 112 (petty organized offence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

In response, Chief Justice Manmohan noted that the plea mentions the use of computers and bots for ticket hoarding, hinting at possible collusion between parties. The petition stated that predatory resellers engaging in ticket scalping limit access for genuine fans while allowing scalpers to exploit high demand.