Mumbai, March 5 World Cup semifinal tickets were allegedly being sold at exorbitant rates for Rs 25,000 amid the India–England T20 World Cup semifinal being held at the Wankhede Stadium, prompting swift action by the Mumbai Crime Branch, which has arrested one person and recovered 10 original match tickets, officials said on Thursday.
According to the Crime Branch, the accused was selling the tickets at prices several times higher than the rates set by the International Cricket Council (ICC). He was allegedly charging Rs 25,000 per ticket in the black market. Besides 10 tickets for different pavilions, a mobile phone was also seized from his possession.
The action was carried out by the Anti-Extortion Cell of the Crime Branch following a complaint by a Dongri resident, a cricket enthusiast who wanted to watch the semifinal with friends. During his search for tickets, he came in contact with a person identified as Zaheer Bamne, who claimed that ticket prices fluctuated daily and would be higher than the ICC’s fixed rate.
On March 4, the accused allegedly demanded Rs 25,000 for one ticket and asked the complainant to meet near a restaurant at Dockyard Road with the cash. The complainant alerted Crime Branch officials, who then laid a trap.
A team reached near the Gani Building, close to the Nawab Hayat Masjid at Dockyard Road. Shortly thereafter, the accused, identified as Kamaluddin Bamne, 51, arrived at the spot and was apprehended by officers in plain clothes. During the search, 10 original tickets for various stands at Wankhede Stadium were recovered.
Police said they are now probing how the accused procured the tickets and whether a larger racket is involved in the black marketing of high-demand World Cup matches.
Meanwhile, according to available estimates, ticket prices for the semifinal ranged from Rs 2,500 for North and East Stand seats to around Rs 4,500 for Sunil Gavaskar and Vijay Merchant stands. Premium seats at the Garware Pavilion were priced at approximately Rs 12,000, while hospitality and corporate box tickets could go up to Rs 45,000.
Further investigation is underway.
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