Bengaluru Police Crack Down on IPL Ticket Black Market Racket
In a significant crackdown on illegal ticket sales, the Central Crime Branch (CCB) in Bengaluru has arrested a man and launched a manhunt for others involved in a black market racket for Indian Premier League (IPL) matches. The accused, identified as Chandrashekhar, who worked in the stadium canteen, is currently in police custody.
Details of the Ticket Fraud Operation
Investigations have revealed that a staffer of the Chinnaswamy Stadium was also implicated in this illicit scheme. According to a police press note, authorities discovered on April 15 that Chandrashekhar had purchased 100 tickets through the online platform Ticketgenie.
Further scrutiny uncovered that:
- 50 tickets were purchased in the name of Swastik Heavy Engineering and Industrial Automation consultant company.
- Another 50 tickets were acquired under the name of Dharani Computers.
Additionally, police found that another individual had bought 81 tickets of varying prices for the IPL match held on March 28, also using the name of Swastik Heavy Engineering and Industrial Automation consultant company. These tickets were subsequently sold at inflated prices in the black market.
Scale of the Illegal Activity
In total, during this IPL season, the accused purchased 181 tickets through Ticketgenie, with a combined value of Rs 17.5 lakh. These tickets were then illegally resold for higher profits, exploiting the high demand for IPL matches.
The police press note emphasized that this racket involved systematic fraud, with tickets being bought under false company names to bypass purchase limits and then sold illicitly.
Authorities are continuing their investigations to apprehend other suspects linked to this black market operation, highlighting ongoing efforts to curb such illegal activities in sports ticketing.
