The Supreme Court of India on Monday, April 28, dismissed a plea that sought guidelines to regulate ticket scalping and black-marketing of online tickets for concerts and other large events.

A bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar refused to interfere with the Bombay High Court’s decision, which had earlier dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in connection with the ticket bookings for the Coldplay concert. However, the Supreme Court allowed the petitioner to make a formal representation to the Central Government and the State Government on the matter.

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At the beginning of the hearing, CJI Sanjiv Khanna clearly showed the Court’s reluctance to step into the issue. Senior Advocate Shyam Divan, representing the petitioner, explained that the plea was based on global practices that could be beneficial if adopted in India.

“These events are now entering India on a large scale. The issue of ticket scalping has been experienced worldwide. We have detailed the parameters and legal measures followed across various countries,” Divan argued.

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He further explained:

"Firstly, just like railway tickets, the name of the ticket buyer should be printed on the ticket itself. This is a primary safeguard followed globally. Secondly, in countries like Australia, if someone wants to resell a ticket, it must be done through a government-approved portal, and the resale price cannot exceed a 10% premium."

Despite these suggestions, CJI Khanna pointed out that such points could be raised directly before the appropriate government authorities rather than the Court.

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When Divan highlighted concerns about the use of automated bots that prevent genuine buyers from purchasing tickets, CJI Khanna responded:

"Technology to control bots has evolved. There are already tools available to tackle this issue."

The Court emphasized that it currently faces many more pressing matters needing its attention. After briefly hearing the arguments, the Supreme Court dictated the dismissal of the plea.

Case Title : Amit Vyas vs Union of India | D No. 9779/2025