The organizers of a recent AR Rahman concert in Chennai’s East Coast Road (ECR) are facing legal scrutiny from the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) for alleged non-payment of entertainment tax on tickets sold. The GCC has issued a notice to ACTC events, the company responsible for organizing the event, demanding information on the number of tickets sold and imposing a 10% entertainment tax on each ticket sold.The controversy surrounding the concert erupted after it was revealed that the company had oversold tickets well beyond the permitted limits, leading to overcrowding and safety concerns. The situation also raised alarms regarding the safety of attendees and the convoy of the Chief Minister that passed through the area during the event.
According to a letter sent to the Tambaram Police, ACTC events had initially sought permission for the concert, stating that only 20,000 people would attend. However, it has come to light that the company sold a staggering 40,000 tickets, in addition to distributing 5,000 complimentary tickets, as claimed by the company’s CEO.