- A canteen worker at Chinnaswamy Stadium was arrested for selling IPL tickets illegally
- Over 180 IPL tickets were sold at inflated prices ranging from Rs 15,000 to Rs 19,000
- Tickets were purchased via Ticketgenie under corporate names and resold illegally
A canteen worker at the Chinnaswamy cricket stadium in Bengaluru was arrested for allegedly selling Indian Premier League (IPL) tickets at inflated prices, uncovering a larger black market network linked to corporate entities and insiders.
The accused, identified as Chandrashekhar, was working at Sri Lakshmi Canteen inside the stadium. He was caught by Bengaluru Central Crime Branch (CCB) officials while allegedly selling more than 180 IPL tickets in the black market at prices ranging between Rs 15,000 and Rs 19,000 per ticket.
According to the police, the tickets were for the high-demand IPL match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) held on April 15.
The investigation began after officials received credible information about a bulk purchase of match tickets, which were then being resold to the public at significantly higher prices.
During the probe, police questioned individuals working within the stadium premises and zeroed in on Chandrashekhar.
Further investigation revealed that the tickets for the April 15 match were purchased through Ticketgenie, an online booking platform. The tickets were bought in bulk under the names of Swastik Heavy Engineering and Industrial Automation Consultant Company, along with 50 tickets purchased in the name of Dharani Computers Company. These were later diverted and sold at inflated rates.
Police also uncovered a similar pattern during the March 28, 2026 IPL match between RCB and Chennai Super Kings (CSK), where 81 tickets worth Rs 6,60,000 were purchased under the same company name and resold at higher prices.
In total, investigators found that 181 tickets across various price categories, worth Rs 17,52,600, were purchased through Ticketgenie and illegally resold on the black market.
During interrogation, Chandrashekhar reportedly revealed that the tickets were supplied by KSCA member Ganesh Pareekshit, who allegedly instructed him to sell them at higher prices. Pareekshit is currently on the run, and a search operation has been launched to trace him.
A case has also been filed against managing directors of certain private companies for allegedly facilitating the illegal ticket sales.
