Nagpur: As the excitement builds for the India vs. England cricket match scheduled for Thursday, police have cracked down on the black market ticket sales near the Vidarbha Cricket Association (VCA) stadium, reports local marathi daily. According to reports,Two individuals were caught red-handed selling tickets at inflated prices on social media. Shockingly, the accused were pretending to be employees of the Vidarbha Cricket Association.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Manohar Hemandas Vanjani (62), a resident of Gandhi Bagh near Daga Hospital, and Rahul Bhaudas Wankhede (38) from Smriti Layout, Dattawadi. Both were apprehended near the VCA stadium by a special team from the Sadar police station.
Scam Targeted Online Ticket Buyers
Cricket fans who had purchased tickets online were required to present their barcodes to collect the physical copies at the Civil Lines VCA counter. Due to this process, long queues had formed since Monday, with police deployed for security. Acting on a tip-off, officers learned that Vanjani and Wankhede were selling tickets at exorbitant rates in a lane near Heritage Hotel.
Tickets Seized from Both Accused
Upon investigation, the police found them in the act, falsely claiming to be VCA employees. They confiscated two South Stand tickets from Vanjani and four East Stand tickets from Wankhede. Vanjani was selling a ₹3,000 ticket for ₹6,000, while Wankhede was charging ₹2,000 for an ₹800 ticket.
A case has been registered against both accused, and they have been arrested. Authorities are now investigating how they obtained the tickets in the first place.