New Delhi: The crime branch of the Delhi Police has issued notices to two CEO level officers and one of their personal assistants of the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) over an alleged black marketing of tickets in the IPL 2026.
The Police began an investigation into the black marketing of the complimentary passes for IPL games at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.
The control of complimentary passes reportedly rested with these two CEOs and their PA in the accounts section. According to the Crime Branch investigation, an organised black-ticketing syndicate was allegedly operating from within the DDCA itself. Police said ticket prices were decided depending on the popularity of the match and players involved.
Complimentary passes for the IPL match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Delhi Capitals, which featured Virat Kohli, were reportedly sold for as the higher ceiling of Rs 80,000. Even for regular matches, tickets were allegedly being sold illegally for Rs 8,000 to Rs 20,000.
Police arrested three individuals outside the stadium
On May 8, police arrested three individuals outside the stadium while they were allegedly selling free passes. During questioning, it emerged that a nearby petrol pump had been turned into a distribution center for these passes. The investigation further revealed that the DDCA distributes around 4,000 complimentary passes to its members for every match.
However, some members are either deceased or living abroad, causing passes issued in their names to be returned undelivered. These returned passes were allegedly diverted into the black market.
DDCA reportedly receives nearly 6,000 complimentary passes for every IPL match. Police are now also probing whether this network supplied passes to online betting syndicates, pickpockets, and other criminal elements.
How Police Got the lead?
During an IPL match, Delhi Police officers posed as decoy customers at a tyre puncture shop where a man claimed he could arrange black-market passes. The officers told him that a group of 25 doctors wanted to watch the IPL match.
The suspect then claimed he could arrange 25 tickets and showed one complimentary pass as proof to the undercover officers.
Following this, police began working on the case and investigating the racket. A gym trainer vendor operating inside the DDCA premises is also under the scanner of the Crime Branch.
