THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
Ranchi, Dec 1: The controversy surrounding ticketing and entry arrangements for the India–South Africa ODI at Ranchi’s JSCA Stadium has intensified, with widespread allegations of mismanagement, black marketing, and fraud.
Jharkhand High Court advocate Dheeraj Kumar has raised serious concerns over the ticket sales and pass distribution process, claiming large-scale irregularities and stating that only a judicial inquiry can uncover how tickets and passes were actually allocated.
Former Chief Minister Arjun Munda also voiced his displeasure on social media, saying thousands of fans failed to secure tickets either online or offline and were left deeply disappointed.
Union Minister of State for Home Sanjay Seth further criticised the JSCA’s system, questioning the arrangements made for the match after a three-year gap.
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The issue escalated as reports of counterfeit tickets surfaced in large numbers. Many spectators who were desperate to watch the match ended up buying tickets on the black market at triple or even higher rates.
Tickets priced at ₹1,600 were reportedly sold for ₹5,300 to ₹6,000, with some fans paying as much as ₹8,000 to ₹15,000.
Several of these turned out to be fake, with barcodes failing to scan at the stadium gates. Members of the ticket-checking team said the counterfeit tickets appeared to be scanned copies of genuine ones and were easily identifiable upon touch.
Many spectators with such tickets were denied entry, leaving them distressed and accusing the authorities of negligence and fraud.
People have also alleged that fake tickets were being sold openly in the vicinity of the stadium. Some spectators claimed that police resorted to lathicharge to control the crowd, accusing them of using force to cover up the mismanagement.
The chaos around offline and online ticket distribution created an opportunity for cybercriminals, who exploited fans’ desperation. Complaints of cyber fraud have been filed at the Ranchi Cyber Police Station.
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One victim, who is a Ranchi resident, said he queued for both online and offline tickets without success. When he turned to social media to look for tickets, cybercriminals duped him of money, demanding more each time he followed up, without delivering any ticket. He eventually filed a police complaint. Several others have reported similar scams.
While police have arrested three people for black-marketing tickets, no arrests have yet been made in the cyber fraud cases. As investigations continue, mounting public anger has intensified calls for accountability and a thorough probe into the JSCA’s ticketing system.