Wankhede security manager arrested for alleged theft of 261 IPL jerseys

A shocking incident has surfaced from Mumbai’s iconic Wankhede Stadium, where a security manager was caught stealing 261 Indian Premier League (IPL) jerseys worth ₹6.52 lakh. The accused, identified as 43-year-old Farooque Aslam Khan from Mira Road, allegedly took the jerseys from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)’s official merchandise store. On June 13, 2025, there was a theft of new IPL 2025 jerseys when, according to the alleged victim, Khan came out of the storeroom with a big box of jerseys. Khan was located shortly thereafter and arrested. He has since been released on bail.

The jerseys, which were sold by agents of the IPL Board of Control Cricket in India (BCCI), were each valued in retail at ₹2,500, which nowadays is not a great deal of money. The theft would not come to the attention of the BCCI for weeks, until a routine stock check in July prompted by a general revenue and expense audit was conducted, and an unusual discrepancy was found, which was much greater than normal. When asked to turn over security camera access, there were apparently videos of Mr. Khan walking out of the storeroom with an unusually large carton, raising suspicions amongst the auditors for BCCI. The Bureau of Indian Cricket Business then registered a complaint with the Marine Drive Police Station on 17th July and initiated an investigation.

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According to the police, Khan had sold a substantial number of the stolen jerseys to a dealer based in Haryana. Investigations revealed that Khan had contacted the dealer via social media, presenting the merchandise as leftover stock being cleared out due to ongoing renovation work at the BCCI office. The buyer believed his claims, and the sale went through. Authorities are now attempting to recover the stolen property and track the full range of Khan's activities as the case is active.

Police recovered 50 of the 261 stolen jerseys from Khan’s possession

After recovering 50 of the 261 stolen IPL jerseys from the possession of Farooque Aslam Khan, police located the criminal and interrogated him. He told police that he used the money from selling the jerseys to support his online gambling addiction. Money from the sale was reportedly sent directly to his bank account. Police managed to find out the jerseys were sold to a dealer in Haryana, who has been requested to attend police interrogation. The dealer stated he had no knowledge of the items being stolen and believed they were all legal because they were sold as part of excess stock due to work being done on the stadium.

Khan is charged with multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code for theft and criminal breach of trust, and police are continuing the investigation to determine whether the jerseys were going to IPL players or the public via BCCI merchandise outlets. The case has highlighted serious concerns about the auditing and security protocols at high-profile venues such as Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, and may require new, stricter protocols.