Hyderabad police have arrested a Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) member and three others for allegedly selling complimentary tickets for the India-West Indies T20 International match on the black market ahead of the October 14 fixture at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Uppal.
The Goshamahal police arrested Satish Chandra Srivastava, an HCA member; his son Akarshit Srivastava; and their associates Avinash Darak of Koti and Mohith Somani of Saidabad. The arrests followed information received by a patrolling team at around 9.30 pm on October 12 about the alleged sale of match tickets near SD Mall in Begum Bazaar.
Police said Darak and Somani were found with 11 complimentary tickets marked “NOT FOR SALE”. The tickets were intended for the India-West Indies T20 match, according to the report. Officers also seized eight passes for the Namdhari Gaurav Navratri Utsav dandiya event, a two-wheeler, three mobile phones and Rs 5,000 in cash.
According to Goshamahal inspector B Sravan Kumar, the tickets were advertised through WhatsApp and Instagram and allegedly sold for between Rs 3,500 and Rs 6,000 each, depending on the pavilion. Police said Akarshit told investigators that his father, who is an HCA member, had obtained the complimentary tickets and passed them to Darak for sale through Somani.
The four accused were booked under Sections 112(1), relating to petty organised crime, and 318(2), relating to punishment for cheating, of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with Section 21(gg) of the City Police Act. Police said the accused would be produced before a magistrate for judicial remand.
Investigators also said they had information that about nine complimentary tickets had already been sold. Goshamahal police said they would write to the Hyderabad Cricket Association to establish how many complimentary tickets had been issued to Srivastava. The inquiry places the distribution of complimentary tickets under scrutiny as authorities prepare for a high-demand international fixture.
Police warned that stringent legal action would be taken against people involved in the alleged illegal sale of cricket tickets. They advised members of the public to purchase tickets only through authorised channels and report suspected black-market activity.
