Is larger scam at work? Tehelka SIT investigation raises serious questions about the potential existence of a larger network in the illegal sale of free passes and black marketing of match tickets. Two days after Tehelka’s exposé on the rampant sale of complimentary passes during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in India, the Kolkata police summoned Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president Snehasish Ganguly for questioning in connection with the black marketing of cricket World Cup tickets. However, Snehasish Ganguly, who is the brother of former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly, had not responded to the police summons at the time of filing this report. Media reports indicate the Kolkata police have seized 94 cricket World Cup tickets and arrested 16 individuals for their alleged involvement in this illicit trade. A total of seven different cases have been registered so far. In the first part of our investigation, we uncovered the rampant sale of ICC complimentary passes for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, with prices fluctuating based on match demand. During the investigation, we encountered Pankaj Verma, a seasoned ticket tout, who revealed his ability to procure complimentary passes for virtually any desired match — all at a premium, of course. On October 15th, our reporter’s first meeting with Pankaj Verma revealed his illicit trade in ICC complimentary passes. Pankaj offered a pass for the India-New Zealand match in Dharamsala, priced at Rs 15,000. After some haggling, he agreed to sell it for Rs 13,000. Of course, the reporter’s objective was not to attend the match but to expose the rampant corruption in the system. Before parting ways, Pankaj assured the reporter that he could arrange complimentary passes for other matches as well, costing Rs 12,000 per pass. To verify Pankaj Verma’s habitual involvement in the sale of illicit passes, we decided to make another purchase. This time, he offered two complimentary passes for the India-England match in Lucknow on October 29, priced at Rs 7,000 per pass. Pankaj delivered the passes to us at the five star hotel of Delhi, charging a total of Rs 14,000 for the pair of passes. During our meeting, Pankaj put a tantalizing proposition to the reporter. In addition to the complimentary passes he had been offering, he said that he could also secure “Box” seat passes for us at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. These passes would provide access to exclusive seating rights next to the players’ dugouts, along with free snacks and cold drinks. Pankaj further promised to provide us with two complimentary box passes for the Australia-England match scheduled for November 4 in Ahmedabad. He said that these passes were a personal favour from a friend, but hastened to add that any subsequent box passes would come at a cost, with rates varying depending on the teams involved in the match. Reporter- Ye batao cricket mein jo banda hai jis sey aap pass le rahe ho… wo sirf passes tak hi limited hai ya aagey…? Pankaj- Aagey wo box (seats) etc bhi dilwata hai…aap bata dena box bhi dilwa dunga.. Reporter- Sir pehle kyun nahi bataya..? Pankaj- Box is wale (match) ki nahi hai..Bombay wale k liye ho jayega..? Reporter- Bombay ka kaunsa match hai…? Pankaj- Bombay mein bhi ek match hai. Reporter- India ka Sri Lanka k saath ? Pankaj- I think ..Sri Lanka ke saath. Pankaj- Ahmedabad k pass chahiye to bata dena box ka…wo to mera ek friend hai..free of cost dilwa dunga.. Reporter- Ahmedabad mein kiska hai…? Pankaj- India ka nahi hai ..par kisi ka hai 4 November ko… Pankaj- Ahmedabad agar dekhna hai to box hai..? Reporter- Box ekdum free hai.. Pankaj- Haan 1-2 ticket karwa dunga.. 2 le lo aap Reporter- Free karwa do..ya kisi aur ka ho box.. Pankaj- Dekho aur jagah to I think paid hai wo…yahan ka na mera kafi accha hai…wo kya kehtey hain banda aviation wagera k ander ka hai…to kisi ne bas de diye… Reporter- ICC ka koi banda hoga..? Pankaj- Jo free hai free hai.. Reporter- Mujhe ye lag raha hai aapka jo bhi banda haina…wo ICC ka koi banda hoga ussey le rahe hai..? Pankaj- Nahi -nahi… that is a sponsorship…jo brands wagera sponsor kar rahe hain…cricket etc k ander jaise ki XXXX hain, XXXX tyres hain….inhoney jo sponsorship kartey hain na inko kuch passes miltey hain…staff k liyeya..unke known wagera k liye ..to ye wo wala scene hai.. Reporter- Accha Reporter- Sir ye batao.. semifinal-final ka kya scene hai..milege passes ? Pankaj- Mil jayengey..aap mujhe bata dena kaun sa chahiye … Ahmedabad wala agar box chahiye free of cost to mujhe bata dena… 2 karwa deta hoon, mere ko bola tha us bande ne agar aap jaogey to mein dunga. Reporter- Box mein kya kya hoga..? Pankaj- Box aapka pavilion ke saath mein hoga.. wahan par snacks …cold drink sab free hoti hai… Reporter- Acha Ahmedabad ka free mil jayega uske baad ? Pankaj- Uskey baad sara paid hai… Reporter- Wo kitney ka milega doosri jagah..paid.. Pankaj- Maine ek baar check karke bataunga…koi idea nahi hai…jo aagey se code hota hai bata dunga.. [In a surprising turn, Pankaj also disclosed his sources, revealing from whom he procured all the complimentary passes, shedding light on the intricate web of connections behind this illegal ticketing operation.] As the conversation progressed, Pankaj revealed how black marketeers had surreptitiously purchased all the online tickets for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, leaving genuine fans scrambling for seats. He revealed the touts were now profiteering by selling them in the black market, with prices varying in response to the demand for specific matches. He pointed out that tickets for India’s matches were particularly lucrative, fetching significantly higher prices. As an example, Pankaj cited that tickets for the India-England match, originally priced at Rs 3,500, were now commanding a staggering black market rate of Rs 18,000 to 20,000 rupees per ticket. Reporter- Ye bhi jaise aap keh rahe they demand supply par hoga jaisa aap bata rahe they…? Pankaj- Exactly log zyadatar India ka match prefer kartey hain…India k time par zyada rate rehta hai.. Reporter- Ticket to inhoney advance mein BCCI ne online rakhey they..? Pankaj- Haan online rakhey they khatam ho gaya …aaj ki date mein kuch nahi hai… aur mil bhi gaya to 18-20 k se kam nahi hain… Reporter- India k match ki ya ye wali 29 October ko hai..? Pankaj- Ye wali…18-20 ki India-England Reporter- Black mein..? Pankaj- Haan ji…ye wali jo ticket hai na…ye aapko milegi hi nahi….aapki complimentary ticket mein na…aap ye mat socho ismein paise nahi hai..complimentary mein. aapko itni acchi bay milegi… normal ticket nahi aayegi…complimentary complimentary hai…sirf khaney ko chodh warna complimentary bahut acchi hai… Reporter- Ye 18k wala ticket kitney ka hai originally…? Pankaj- 18k wali I think aayegi 3500 rupees mein.. Reporter- Rs 3500 ka 18000 mein…black mein baap re.. Reporter- Lekin saare matches ka black nahi hai sir..? Pankaj- Saare ka nahi hai but dekhney wale matches ka end moment par black hain…jisne dekhna use dekhna hai… Reporter- Mujhe lagta hai…jitney bhi black marteers hain unhoney pehle online booking karwa li hai… Pankaj- Karwa li hai aur dekh bhi aaye hai…aap mano ge nahi..India-Pakistan ka to Rs 24k mein bikey hain..mere friend ne office k bande ne kai jagah dekar aaye hain… [Pankaj provided insights into the intricate workings of the black market ticket trade for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. These ticket touts were now reselling the tickets at exorbitant prices, capitalizing on the high demand for certain matches, particularly those involving India.] Pankaj confided in our reporter that he was initially apprehensive when he met us for the first time. His apprehension stemmed from the fact that he was selling free passes, which were strictly prohibited under ICC regulations. Also, he was uncertain about our identities and intentions. In a candid conversation, Pankaj disclosed that the passes he was providing to us were not actually free in the strictest sense. Someone had, in fact, spent money to obtain these passes, emphasizing that securing complimentary passes was no simple feat as only insiders with privileged access could do so. Reporter- Aur batao sir…us din to aap itna darrey hue they…? Pankaj- Aise kaam na mein karta nahi hoon, jaise ye abhi aaye hue hain…to mein ye hi charity kar raha hoon… Reporter- Is kaam mein aisa kya galat hai..? Pankaj- Galat matlab…kisi…
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