A prompt response from the local police followed a complaint filed by a cricket fan at Kolkata’s Maidan Police Station, implicating collusion between the online portal Bookmyshow, Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The complaint alleges that designated tickets for the general public were deliberately withheld by BCCI and CAB officials, with the intent to make them available to black-market dealers for personal gain.

According to recent reports, the police issued a notice to the Cricket Association of Bengal on November 2, requesting the cooperation of a competent official in the ongoing investigation. A similar notice was served to Bookmyshow, urging their full support in the inquiry.

Kolkata Police Arrests Ankit Agarwal for Ticket Reselling

On Monday, the Kolkata police arrested Ankit Agarwal for reselling tickets for the India-South Africa match at a significantly inflated price. The original ticket price was Rs 2,500 each, but Agarwal was selling them for as much as Rs 11,000 each, as reported by news agency ANI.

CAB Members Express Frustration Over Ticket Allocation

Members of the Cricket Association of Bengal expressed their frustration at not being able to secure tickets for the India-South Africa game and the World Cup semifinal. Longtime life member Arindam Kanti Biswas voiced his disappointment, stating that he and numerous other members were denied tickets despite a notification in Anandbazar Patrika by CAB, which required members to renew their membership cards by October 24th. Many members, like Biswas, claimed they were unaware of the requirement and expected better communication from the association.”