Conned into buying fake IPL tickets for hefty sums, 30 cricket fans end up watching match at police station

Patil, a Jalgaon resident, who came to Mumbai with his friend Shubham Patil said, “We had come to Mumbai from Jalgaon to take admission to NMIMS College yesterday. We timed things in such a way that we could also see the IPL match at Wankhede stadium today after finishing formalities at the college.”

A student of BCom planning to enroll in an MBA programme, Patil was additionally tense at having to spend time at the police station ahead of his exams.

“We took a train from Vile Parle to Churchgate to reach the ground just in time before the match started. However, as soon as we reached the gate, the security guard just took once glance at out tickets and said they were duplicate. We were then taken to a policeman standing nearby who brought us to the police station.”

A flummoxed Patil, who paid Rs 5,000 for the ticket, added: “The person from whom we purchased the ticket was wearing what looked like a security badge and was also carrying a walkie-talkie. Also, he had taken us inside the stadium and seated us at the Sachin Tendulkar stand yesterday to watch the players practise at the stadium. On our way, he waved several times at other staff members at the stadium. There was no reason for us to doubt when he told us that he was a staff member who was selling us the tickets.”

Unlike Patil, Sameer Kumar’s cousin had an inkling when he saw the tickets that they might have been fake, but he did not act upon the suspicion. Kumar, a merchant navy officer, also planned to watch his first IPL match Monday with his colleagues and cousin. “We arrived at the stadium in the morning and found that the tickets were sold out. A man wearing a security badge and sports clothes asked us if we wanted tickets. At first we refused but later said yes,” said Kumar.

Just like he had done with Patil, the man asked for an advance of Rs 100 from Kumar and later called him to meet at the Churchgate railway station to give six tickets in exchange for Rs 1,200. “There are CCTV cameras at the station in which his face can be seen,” said Kumar.

Another victim of the tout, who did not wish to be named, said he paid Rs 3,000 each for two tickets. In each case, the police said, the description of the tout was the same. The police have made a list of the people who have lodged complaints, and seized the fake tickets. Patil also said he had handed over a picture of the tout to the police.

At the police station, those rounded up for buying the fake IPL tickets could be seen sitting on the floor as the match played on a TV screen in front of them. Half an hour later, the police brought in wares abandoned by hawkers selling snacks outside the stadium and laid a pile of chana jor garam and cotton candies close to where the men were seated.

Without invitation, a few men dug in, grabbing bits of the food. “We were going to get rid of the food anyway, so it’s alright if they eat it,” said an officer.

Manoj Kumar Sharma, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone I, said the Marine Drive police had noted complaints of the men and women, and also from stadium officials, and were in the process of registering a case of cheating and forgery against an unknown individual.

In May 2016, the Marine Drive police station had arrested five persons, including a graphic designer, who had printed 560 fake tickets. They had sold 150 of these tickets and 67 were recovered from them.