Seven arrested in cuttack for black marketing cricket tickets ahead of India vs England ODI

Bhubaneswar, Feb 7: In a major crackdown on black marketing of match tickets ahead of the highly anticipated India vs England ODI at Barabati Stadium, Cuttack Commissionerate Police arrested seven individuals on Friday.

The arrests followed four separate complaints, prompting an extensive investigation into unauthorized ticket sales. During the operation, police seized 25 tickets along with Rs 30,000 in cash. Three individuals were detained in the Dargah Bazaar area, while Cantonment Police arrested another four from a different location.

Video footage captured by OTV shows women illegally selling tickets outside Gallery 7 of Barabati Stadium, demanding Rs 5,000 per entry. The clip also reveals a negotiation attempt where a buyer offers Rs 4,000, but the seller refuses to lower the price.

Authorities have filed two separate cases and launched a detailed probe into the matter.

Meanwhile, cricket fans are eagerly awaiting the India vs England ODI, scheduled for Sunday, February 9 at Barabati Stadium. However, chaotic scenes were witnessed on Wednesday as thousands of fans gathered outside the stadium to purchase offline tickets.

The situation escalated into a stampede-like scenario due to poor exit management, leading to significant crowd control issues. Additionally, concerns were raised over a large number of elderly women seen standing in queues for hours, despite having little familiarity with the sport, raising suspicions about possible ticket hoarding.