The Madras High Court on Friday directed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) to consider a representation made by an advocate for stringent action against the sale of Indian Premier League (IPL) tickets on the black market.
The First Division Bench of Chief Justice Sanjay V. Gangapurwala and Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy issued the direction while disposing of a public interest litigation petition filed by advocate A. Sathiya Prakash of Chennai. The litigant had complained of most tickets being sold at exorbitant rates.
State Public Prosecutor Hasan Mohamed Jinnah, representing the Greater Chennai Police Commissioner, informed the Bench that in the current IPL season, the police had arrested many people in connection with the sale of tickets on the black market and registered criminal cases against them.
In his affidavit, the petitioner contended that cricket is the most loved sport in the country and the fans in Chennai vie to get an opportunity to watch the matches at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium at Chepauk. However, of late, purchasing tickets at a fair price has become a Herculean task, he said.
He said that though the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) sells tickets online, the booking closes in no time and those who manage to purchase them end up selling those tickets at exorbitant rates to the diehard fans. This leads to disparity with those who cannot afford such high rates being not able to enjoy the matches.
Senior counsel P.R. Raman, representing the TNCA, told the Bench that the association makes sure it does not sell more than two tickets to each person. However, the demand was so high that the tickets assigned for online booking get sold within a few minutes.
