Nagpur: Acting on confidential information about the black marketing of tickets for the India vs England ODI match scheduled on February 6, 2025, Nagpur police nabbed two more persons in this connection.
The city police had launched a cyber surveillance operation to track down black market activities on social media platforms. Following orders from senior officials, the Cyber Police Station’s Social Media Cell kept a close watch on various platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Twitter, and AI-based tracking tools, to identify individuals involved in unauthorized ticket sales.
Instagram post leads police to accused
On February 5, investigators discovered a suspicious post on the Instagram profile ‘Nagpur_wow’, advertising the sale of match tickets at exorbitant prices:
• ₹8,000 ticket being sold for ₹12,000 (3 available)
• ₹5,000 ticket being sold for ₹10,000 (2 available)
• ₹3,000 ticket being sold for ₹7,000 (3 available)
The post also mentioned a contact number (8999123887). Upon tracing the number, police identified the owner as Azhar Salim Sheikh, a resident of Vidarbha Complex, Sakardara, Nagpur.
Trap laid, two arrested with ₹34,000 worth of tickets
Following a swift operation, a police team reached Sheikh’s residence and interrogated him about the Instagram post. He revealed that the ‘Nagpur_wow’ profile was operated by his friend Rohit Gopal Zode (24), a resident of Garoba Maidan, Kapse Chowk, Nagpur.
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Further investigation revealed that Zode had:
• Two ₹5,000 tickets in his possession, which he intended to sell at a premium.
• Three ₹8,000 tickets also being sold at inflated prices.
Under police guidance, Sheikh lured Zode to Sakardara Chowk, where police detained him and seized a total of five tickets worth ₹34,000.
Legal action initiated
Both accused were booked under Section 112(2), 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, for illegally reselling match tickets at higher prices. The Cyber Police Station, Nagpur, has launched further investigations to uncover more individuals involved in ticket scalping.
More accounts under police scanner
Authorities have also taken legal action against other social media accounts involved in ticket black marketing, including:
1. Instagram Reel Post
2. Twitter/X User – _BabuBhaiya
3. Twitter/X User – Gaurav M31075116
Senior police officials overseeing investigation
The operation was conducted under the guidance of Nagpur Police Commissioner, Additional Police Commissioner (Crime), Deputy Commissioner of Police (Cyber), Nagpur.
Nagpur police have warned that strict action will be taken against anyone involved in the black market sale of match tickets.