ICC ODI World Cup 2023 | Wrap up of events regarding tickets ahead of India vs South Africa match dgtl

South Africa has already come to Kolkata. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli also came to the city on Friday evening. After they reached the city, the city was drenched with drops of rain. Cricket lovers are apprehensive about the India-South Africa match at Eden Gardens on November 5. Still, there is no sign of the city’s cricket heat abating. On the other hand, complaints of black market of tickets, wide gap between demand and supply and police investigation kept Kolkata Maidan busy.

Complaints of cricket lovers

Protests have been going on for several days over match tickets in Kolkata. Apart from the companies selling tickets for World Cup matches online, CAB and BCCI officials have also removed the tickets, cricket fans have complained. That ticket has gone to the black market. A total of seven FIRs have been lodged against CAB and online ticketing agencies in these two police stations Maidan and Entali, Kolkata Police.

Police Commissioner’s statement

Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal said, “The black market of tickets is being investigated. CAB has replied to the complaint which was submitted on Wednesday. But we need to know more details. So we asked to answer again. How to book a ticket should also be known. CAB and the agency through which tickets are being sold have been summoned. Asked to meet the investigating officer.”

Police summon Snehashis

Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) President Snehashis Gangopadhyay has been summoned by the Kolkata Police to investigate the black market of World Cup tickets. He has been asked to appear within 24 hours. CAB, however, has denied the issue of sending this summons to the Kolkata Police. The mail was sent to representatives of a company selling tickets online. They appeared at Maidan police station on Friday.

CAB is struggling

Tickets for the India vs South Africa match at the Eden Gardens on Sunday have been clamoring since the very beginning. Seating is limited in the stadium. But the demand for tickets is skyrocketing. CAB officials are struggling to keep pace. Allegedly, most of the CAB members did not get tickets. A section of angry cricket fans filed an FIR against the CAB and the Online Ticket Sales Tax Agency alleging black market. Based on that, the anti-gang wing of the Kolkata Police has started an investigation.

Arrested on charges of black market

Calcutta Police said that a total of 16 people have been arrested till Friday afternoon on charges of black market of tickets. 94 tickets of India vs South Africa match confiscated. According to the police sources, three people have been arrested for trying to sell tickets worth 900 rupees for 8000 rupees for the India-South Africa match. Their names are Subhradeep Bhattacharya, Suman Sardar and Sandeepan Laha. 17 tickets were confiscated from them. Apart from this, two persons named Harsh Gupta and Harshit Aggarwal were arrested on Thursday on the charge of selling tickets at exorbitant prices. Eight tickets were confiscated from them. Complaints against them for selling tickets online at huge prices have been lodged at Hare Street police station. Two persons named Islamul Hora (alias Tinku) and Hemal Shah were arrested from Maulali Mazar in Entali police station area on Thursday. 10 tickets for the November 5 game were confiscated from them. Apart from this, several complaints are being investigated.

CAB statement

CAB officials say they have virtually nothing to do. CAB president Snehashis said, “The World Cup is an ICC event. The Board of Cricket in India (BCCI) has tasked an agency to sell tickets online. CAB is only the organizer of the match. We also got the tickets through the online ticketing company. We got much less tickets than the demand. As a result, clubs, affiliated organizations, members have to reduce the fixed quota.”

Sourav on the side

Almost the same thing has been heard from the mouth of former BCCI president Sourav Gangopadhyay. He said, “The demand for Indian sports tickets is huge. Everyone wants to watch the game. But the number of seats in the stadium is fixed. So it is natural that not everyone will get tickets. Such a situation has arisen because the demand is strong.” He said, “The BCCI or the CAB do not control the ticket after it goes out. It is not possible for cricket officials to know what is happening outside. It is not possible for CAB to stop the black market of tickets. The rulers will no longer go and stand in the Mohammedan field. This responsibility should be taken by the police. This is also the case in the football world cup. One match ticket was sold for 17 lakh rupees. The original price of which was two and a half lakh taka.”

State Sports Minister of the state opened his mouth

Minister of State for Sports Manoj Tiwari quipped in a press conference at Howrah’s Balitikuri that perhaps Byomkesh Bakshi will have to find out where the tickets are. Manoj said, “Only Byomkesh Bakshi can answer the question of where is the ticket. I don’t know anything.” He also said that CAB is an autonomous organization. The state government has no dealings with them.

Betting with the black market

Cricket betting was going on inside an old house in North Kolkata’s Girish Park. Just as the city was in frenzy over Sunday’s India vs South Africa match at the Eden, the Kolkata Police on Friday unearthed a betting ring from a cafeteria in Khas Kolkata’s old quarter. One of the gangsters of that gang was arrested. According to police sources, the name of the arrested local youth is Abhishek Jaiswal (28). Police raided Cafe Valentino on Madan Chatterjee Lane in Girish Park area. He used to run betting cycles by creating Master IDs through websites like Skyfare and SkyExchange. Apart from this, Abhishek used to create IDs for his customers on all these betting websites.