A former Mumbai Under 19 cricketer, Balwant Singh Swaroop Singh Sodha, has been arrested by the DB Marg police for his alleged role in black marketing tickets for the T20 World Cup semi final between India and England at inflated prices.
Sodha, 26, is the seventh accused in the case. Police said his mobile phone has been seized and its data is being analysed to trace the source of the tickets and identify other links in the racket.
The police have so far seized 24 tickets and have written to the Mumbai Cricket Association seeking details of their distribution.
According to investigators, Sodha allegedly sold two tickets priced at Rs 25,000 each but has not disclosed how he procured them. “We are examining his call data records to trace further links,” an officer said.
The case first came to light after police received a tip off that a man, identified as Aditya Raorane, was selling tickets at inflated rates. Acting on this, officers posed as buyers and apprehended Raorane at a coffee shop in Vile Parle when he agreed to sell two tickets at Rs 25,000 each.
During interrogation, Raorane told police he had sourced the tickets from Siddharth Sabhapati. Police then asked him to contact Sabhapati for more tickets. Sabhapati allegedly sent two additional tickets through another accomplice, Meghan Sandesh Pradhan, who was also arrested at the same location. Four tickets were seized in this operation.
Police said the accused were part of a conspiracy to resell complimentary and subsidised tickets issued by the Mumbai Cricket Association at inflated prices.
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A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Maharashtra Police Act. Six accused, including Raorane and his associates, were arrested earlier this month.
Further investigation led police to Sodha, who was detained on March 25 and formally arrested the next day. He was produced before a court, remanded to police custody for a day, and later sent to judicial custody. He has since been granted bail.
Manish Kumar Pathak is a dedicated journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Mumbai. His work demonstrates substantial Expertise and Authority across the complex field of crime reporting, with a strong focus on law enforcement actions, fraud, and cyber security challenges facing the metropolitan region.
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Manish Kumar Pathak's consistent focus on crime, fraud, and the workings of the Mumbai police system establishes him as a trusted and authoritative source for critical news in Western India. ... Read More
