Three Calcuttans arrested for trying to sell their KKR vs RCB IPL match tickets in black
Telegraph | 23 March 2025
A first-day-first-show at the cinema has become a thing of the past. Now Eden Gardens, too, has its first day’s first show. And when Shah Rukh Khan is the star, everyone wants a ticket.
Some who got one wanted to make a killing.
At least three Calcuttans were arrested on Friday night trying to sell their IPL tickets for the first match of the season on Saturday at a price many times the original.
Cops suspect the number of tickets selling at a premium will be much higher because most people ready to shell out extra bucks for a ticket do not report it.
Girish Park resident D. Mali reported to the police that he “met” one Ashish Sharma through a social media handle and was convinced that he could get four tickets for the Saturday match at the Eden.
Mali paid ₹20,000 and went to collect the tickets in Girish Park.
“He was handed an envelope. Opening the envelope, the complaint found two tickets whose original cost was ₹2,000 and two complimentary tickets,” said an officer of the detective department of Kolkata Police.
The matter was reported to the police.
Based on the complaint, a case was registered under sections of cheating, criminal conspiracy and that of the West Bengal Black Marketing Act 1948.
The man who allegedly handed the tickets to the complainant was arrested.
The accused was identified as Piyush Mahindra. His alleged associate, Kamal Hussain, was arrested on Mitra Lane.
The police found 21 tickets in their possession.
The police are yet to ascertain if Ashish Sharma — from whose social media handle the deal was fixed — was part of the black marketing racket.
Another man, identified as Shahbaz Khan, 23, a resident of Marquis Street in the New Market area, was also arrested for black marketing IPL tickets. Six tickets were allegedly found in his possession.
Many said they were forced to look for “alternative means” to obtain a ticket as all the tickets on the official platforms had “sold out”.
The police said apart from falling prey to black marketeers, several Calcuttans are getting cheated through social media handles showing photographs of IPL tickets claiming that tickets were still available.
Kolkata Police have received several complaints where the victims paid for tickets online but did not receive any.