Hyderabad Cricket Association member and his son among those arrested over alleged black market sale of complimentary passes
Imagine getting a cricket ticket for free and then selling it for Rs 6,000.
That is exactly what four people, including a Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) member and his son, are accused of doing ahead of India's fourth T20I against the West Indies in Hyderabad on Wednesday.
According to a report by The Times of India, Hyderabad Police arrested the four on Tuesday for allegedly selling complimentary match tickets at inflated prices.
The passes, clearly marked 'NOT FOR SALE', were reportedly being offered for between Rs 3,500 and Rs 6,000 each, depending on the pavilion.
How the racket was uncovered
The incident came to light after Goshamahal police received information on October 12 about the illegal sale of match tickets near SD Mall in Begum Bazaar.
Police initially detained two men, identified as Avinash Darak and Mohit Somani, and recovered 11 complimentary passes.
During questioning, the two allegedly revealed that they had obtained the tickets through Akarshit Srivastava, whose father, Satish Chandra Srivastava, is an HCA member.
Investigators said the passes were being advertised through WhatsApp and Instagram before being sold to interested buyers.
Police subsequently arrested both father and son.
According to Goshamahal police inspector B Sravan Kumar, around nine complimentary tickets had already been sold.
Officers also seized Rs 5,000 in cash, mobile phones, a two wheeler and eight passes for a Navratri event.
Police issue warning to cricket fans
All four accused were remanded to judicial custody, with investigations continuing into how the complimentary tickets were obtained and distributed.
Police have warned fans against purchasing match tickets through unauthorised sellers and urged them to report suspected black market sales.
The incident comes ahead of the fourth T20I between India and the West Indies at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad.
India currently lead the five match series 2-1 and will be hoping to seal the series with another victory on Wednesday.