As the IPL season begins every year, the demand for match tickets skyrockets. While some fans manage to secure seats officially, many are left disappointed due to limited availability. This often leads to a flourishing black market, where tickets and passes are sold at inflated prices. Allegations of ticket black marketing have surfaced repeatedly over the years, and now Delhi Police claims to have uncovered a major racket linked to matches at Arun Jaitley Stadium.
According to the investigation, the alleged racket may not have been run by outsiders alone. Delhi Police suspects the involvement of certain officials from the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA). Investigators believe complimentary passes meant to be distributed free of cost were instead sold illegally at massive prices on the black market.
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The Crime Branch has already issued notices to two senior DDCA officials and one of their personal assistants, summoning them for questioning. Reports suggest that DDCA receives nearly 6,000 complimentary passes for every IPL match, and a section of officials, along with accounts department personnel, allegedly controlled their distribution.
Complimentary passes allegedly sold at massive prices
Police claim the price of passes depended on the popularity of players and the importance of the fixture. For high-profile games, rates reportedly touched extraordinary levels. Investigators alleged that complimentary passes for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru versus Delhi Capitals clash featuring Virat Kohli were sold for as much as Rs 80,000. Passes for other matches were reportedly sold between Rs 8,000 and Rs 20,000.
Dharmshala me IPL ticket Black में à¤à¥‡à¤à¤¤à¥‡ 2 गिà¤à¤«à¥à¤¤à¤à¤ pic.twitter.com/Km7HY0Emmw
— Punjab Kesari-Himachal (@himachalkesari) May 17, 2023
The probe also revealed that several passes were issued in the names of deceased DDCA members or members living abroad. Since those passes often remained unused, they allegedly found their way back into the system before being resold illegally at premium prices.
Police operation exposes suspected network
On May 8, Delhi Police arrested three accused, Mukim, Gufran and Mohammad Faisal, from a petrol pump outside the stadium, which investigators say was being used as a distribution point for passes. Police are also probing possible links between the racket and online betting syndicates.
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The racket was reportedly exposed after a Crime Branch officer posed as a buyer seeking passes for 25 doctors. Once the accused agreed and displayed a complimentary pass as proof, police launched the operation and widened the investigation.
