A software engineer from Bengaluru and a digital marketing executive from Hyderabad were nabbed for selling IPL tickets in the black market by the North Zone Task Force team, along with Gopalapuram police of Hyderabad. Officials said that the duo would buy tickets in bulk through multiple email IDs and would sell them for higher rates in WhatsApp groups for cricket fans.
The men, Chittoor Ramana, 27, a resident of Bengaluru, and Nyalakanti Samuel Susheel, 29, from Hyderabad, were found in possession of 101 IPL tickets of the Sunrisers Hyderabad and Royal Challengers Bengaluru match on April 25 in Uppal, Hyderabad.
“Ramana, a techie, was earlier arrested by the Chennai police for a similar offence during the ODI World Cup. He met Samuel through a WhatsApp group for cricket fans and they hatched a plan to sell tickets in black, given the huge demand for it during this IPL season,” explained the DCP of Commissioner’s Task Force, S. Rashmi Perumal.
They would target the several cricket-related WhatsApp groups, which have about 1,000 members in each of them from all over India where members discuss matches and the availability of tickets they have booked online. “Ramana’s plan was to procure tickets through the common groups and pass them on to his accomplice, Samuel, via different mail IDs. Samuel would then redeem the QR codes at redemption centres in Hyderabad and they would sell the tickets in the black market to their regular customers and also advertise them on Facebook and Instagram,” explained the DCP.
As per norms of the IPL authorities, each individual can obtain only four tickets. However, these men managed to obtain the tickets in bulk via multiple email IDs.
“It has also come to our notice that the public is indulging in black marketing of IPL tickets by falling prey to the attraction of easy money. These actions are illegal as per law and will attract penalties and punishment. Moreover, the public is requested not to purchase such tickets which are being sold illegally to discourage such activities,” concluded the DCP.