The Kolkata Police has taken action in response to allegations of ticket black marketing surrounding the upcoming India vs South Africa match scheduled at Eden Gardens on Sunday at 2pm. On Saturday evening, a notice was issued to BCCI President Roger Binny, requesting relevant ticket sale information to be submitted at Kolkata's Maidan police station, according to a senior officer quoted by PTI.
The officer stated, "A notice was sent to the BCCI president, asking him to provide relevant documents and information regarding the sale of tickets either personally or through any competent person of his organisation to the investigating officer of Maidan PS during working hours on Tuesday."
This move follows the arrest of 19 individuals in seven cases registered at various city police stations the previous week. Additionally, 108 tickets designated for the India vs South Africa match were confiscated.
Previously, the city police had served notices to an online ticket booking portal and the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) based on a complaint alleging the black marketing of tickets for the match.
The initial case was filed at Maidan police station on November 1, based on a complaint indicating that tickets for the Sunday match were being illicitly traded "due to the collusion of an online portal along with officials of the CAB and BCCI". The complainants asserted that certain BCCI and CAB officials, in association with the booking portal, facilitated the availability of tickets to black marketeers.
The Kolkata Police's detective department reportedly interrogated representatives of the ticket booking portal on Friday in connection with the allegations. However, officials from the state cricket body purportedly did not appear at the Maidan police station.
" Our officers spoke with portal officials... But no CAB representatives came," another officer informed PTI, adding that they have issued an additional notice to CAB officials.
Reportedly, three of the apprehended individuals were allegedly involved in selling a Rs 900 ticket for Rs 8,000, and 17 tickets were seized from them. PTI noted that a case under the WB Black Marketing Act, 1948, was registered against the trio, along with officials of the booking portal and CAB.
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