Police investigate Coldplay's tour tickets in India

British rock band Coldplay's upcoming tour of India has sparked a police probe and fans are disappointed after scalpers purchased inexpensive tickets to resell online for more than US$1,000 each.

Thousands of music aficionados attempted and failed to get tickets for three performances scheduled in the financial capital Mumbai in January, which were sold by the prominent Indian online ticket platform BookMyShow.

All three events sold out in minutes, and many who missed out were outraged to see 6,000-rupee (US$72) tickets surface on resale websites at exorbitantly high prices.

“The tickets are being sold at 10 times, 20 times, 30 times the price that is being sold on the website itself,” said student Anna Abraham, 19.

Local media reports said BookMyShow’s chief operating officer was questioned by police on Monday after a complaint brought by Mumbai lawyer Amit Vyas, who claimed the vendor was working with “black marketeers” to make an extra windfall on ticket sales.

“I checked with nearly 100 people who I know are regulars at concerts, none of them had gotten a ticket,” Vyas said, according to the Indian Express newspaper.

“This made me suspicious. I then decided to approach the police as I knew that something was amiss.”

BookMyShow stated after the public backlash began last week, saying it had “no association” with unauthorized ticket selling.

“Scalping and black marketing of tickets is strictly condemned and punishable by law in India and BookMyShow vehemently opposes this practice,” the company said.