News Update

Police Complaint Lodged Against BookMyShow and Cricket Association of Bengal for Suspected World Cup Ticket Black Marketing

• ByStartupStory     |    November 4, 2023

Kolkata Police has taken action following allegations of ticket scarcity and black marketing for the highly anticipated World Cup clash between India and South Africa at the iconic Eden Gardens. The police have reached out to the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) and bookmyshow.com for their responses.

Representatives from the ticket booking portal were questioned by the police, and approximately 10 individuals have been detained on charges of illegally selling tickets. In addition, 72 tickets have been seized as part of the investigation.

A case was filed on Wednesday based on a complaint from cricket fans who accused bookmyshow and officials from CAB and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) of participating in ticket black marketing.

The Deputy Commissioner of Kolkata Police, Priyabrata Roy, confirmed that a letter has been sent to CAB, and a representative is expected to appear before the police.

Sourav Ganguly, the former India captain and the younger brother of CAB President Snehasish Ganguly, defended the association against the allegations. He acknowledged that high demand for tickets often leads to such issues and suggested that only the police can effectively address ticket black marketing.

The incident has attracted political attention as well, with Cricketer and Minister of State for Sports, Manoj Tiwary, calling on the CAB and its president to provide clarity on the ticketing situation.

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Social media has been inundated with complaints from individuals who claim they were deceived while attempting to purchase tickets. Following raids, it has come to light that tickets priced at ₹2500 were sold for ₹11,000, and those originally priced at ₹900 were sold for ₹8000. Many CAB life members also reported difficulty in acquiring tickets.

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