A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Madras High Court, urging stringent action against the sale of Indian Premier League (IPL) tickets on the black market. Advocate A. Sathiya Prakash, who lodged the PIL, seeks directives for the Greater Chennai Commissioner of Police and the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) to crack down on this illegal activity.
The PIL is set for admission before the first Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice Sanjay V. Gangapurwala and Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy, on Friday. Prakash’s affidavit highlights the difficulties faced by common cricket fans in Chennai, especially with securing tickets at reasonable prices to watch matches at the M.A. Chidambaram Cricket Stadium in Chepauk.
Prakash expressed concerns that although TNCA offers tickets online, they are sold out almost immediately. He pointed out that tickets are then resold at exorbitant prices, creating a disparity as many fans cannot afford them. According to the affidavit, there is a significant black market for IPL tickets in Chennai, controlled by a mafia that substantially inflates ticket prices.
Recent police actions shed light on the severity of the issue. On March 22, the Chennai police arrested five individuals and confiscated eight tickets for the match between Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Royal Challengers Bangalore, along with ₹31,500 in cash. These tickets were reportedly sold for ten times their original price, with lower stand tickets reaching as high as ₹14,000 to ₹16,000.
Further police reports from March 27 revealed the arrest of 24 people involved in the black market sales of tickets for the CSK versus Gujarat Titans match on March 26. Authorities seized 83 tickets and ₹18,000 during this operation.
