A canteen worker at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru has been arrested for allegedly selling Indian Premier League (IPL) tickets at inflated prices, with the investigation pointing to a larger network involving insiders and corporate entities, NDTV reported.
The accused, identified as Chandrashekhar, was employed at Sri Lakshmi Canteen located inside the stadium premises.
He was caught by officials of the Bengaluru Central Crime Branch (CCB) while allegedly selling more than 180 IPL tickets in the black market.
According to the investigation, the tickets were sold at prices ranging between Rs 15,000 and Rs 19,000 each.
Police said the tickets were for the high-demand IPL match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Lucknow Super Giants, which was held on April 15.
The case came to light after officials received specific information about bulk ticket purchases that were later being resold to the public at significantly higher rates.
During the investigation, police questioned several individuals working within the stadium premises before identifying Chandrashekhar as a key suspect.
Further inquiry revealed that the tickets for the April 15 match were booked through Ticketgenie, an online ticketing platform.
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These tickets were purchased in bulk under the names of Swastik Heavy Engineering and Industrial Automation Consultant Company, along with 50 tickets bought under Dharani Computers Company.
According to police findings, these tickets were later diverted and sold at inflated prices.
Investigators also found a similar pattern in an earlier IPL match held on March 28, 2026, between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Chennai Super Kings.
In that instance, 81 tickets worth Rs 6,60,000 were purchased under the same company name and later resold at higher prices.
In total, police found that 181 tickets across different price categories, amounting to Rs 17,52,600, were purchased through Ticketgenie and subsequently sold illegally in the black market.
During questioning, Chandrashekhar reportedly told investigators that the tickets had been supplied by KSCA member Ganesh Pareekshit, who allegedly instructed him to sell them at higher rates.
Pareekshit is currently absconding, and police have launched a search operation to locate him.
A case has also been registered against managing directors of certain private companies for their alleged role in facilitating the illegal sale of tickets.
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