Free India vs West Indies T20I tickets sold for Rs 6,000, HCA member among 4 arrested

The Hyderabad Police have arrested a member of the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) and three others for allegedly black-marketing free tickets for the fourth India-West Indies T20I match. The police seized 11 match passes marked “NOT FOR SALE” ahead of Wednesday’s match at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Uppal.

The accused have been identified as HCA member Satish Chandra Srivastava, his son Akarshit Srivastava, Avinash Darak and Mohit Somani. The case came to light after the Goshamahal police received information about the alleged sale of tickets near SD Mall in Begum Bazar on October 12.

INDIA VS WEST INDIES, 4TH T20I: PREVIEW

A police team led by Assistant Sub-Inspector V Janardhan Naik arrested Darak and Somani around 9:00 pm. Apart from the cricket tickets, the police seized eight tickets for the Navratri Dandiya event, Rs 5,000 in cash, mobile phones and a two-wheeler.

TICKETS ALLEGEDLY SOLD FOR RS 6,000

According to the police, during interrogation, Darak and Somani allegedly revealed that they got free tickets from Akarshit and advertised them on WhatsApp and Instagram at exorbitant prices.

Goshamahal inspector B Sravan Kumar said tickets are reportedly being sold for Rs 3,500 to Rs 6,000, depending on the pavilion. Akarshit allegedly obtained the passes from his father, an HCA member, before handing them over to Darak for sale with the help of Somani.

The inspector also said that the accused allegedly sold around nine free tickets. The police will write to the HCA to find out how many passes were issued to Satish Chandra Srivastava.

POLICE WARN FANS AGAINST BLACK MARKETING

The four accused were arrested on October 13 and remanded in judicial custody. The police have registered a case under Section 112(1) and 318(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 21(gg) of the City Police Act. The investigation is ongoing.

Police urged fans to buy tickets for the match only through authorized channels and to report suspected black marketing. They also warned that buying or selling free tickets marked “NOT FOR SALE” could trigger legal action.

The arrest comes ahead of the fourth T20I, with India leading the five-match series 2-1. A win in Hyderabad would give the hosts an unassailable lead as the West Indies look to level the series ahead of the final match in Bengaluru on Saturday.

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