6 arrested for ticket black-marketing for India-Sri Lanka T20 match at Barabati

Cuttack: The special squad of Commissionerate Police on Sunday nabbed six persons on charges of black-marketing of tickets for upcoming India-Sri Lanka T20 match at Barabati Stadium to be held on December 20.

The police have seized 39 tickets from their possession while they were selling the tickets for India-Sri Lanka T20 match at Barabati Stadium.

Earlier in the day, tension prevailed outside the Barabati Stadium after spectators broke barricade as they did not get tickets for the much-awaited match. Some people, who made a beeline to get tickets, broke the ticket counter glass as they did not get tickets despite standing in line for hours.

Hundreds of cricket lovers made a beeline at three counters of the Barabati Stadium since last night to buy tickets. However, when the Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) announced that tickets for gallery no 1, 2,3,4,6 and 7 were sold out, some of the cricket fans got fumed and broke the barricades and pelted stones at ticket counters.

OCA Working Committee Chairman Dhiren Palai said all tickets were sold out in one day as cricket fans turned up in large numbers at the counters for India-Sri Lanka T20 match at Barabati Stadium.

“As many as 12,529 tickets have been made available for sale at the counters after 9,310 tickets were sold online and 10,564 sold through our affiliated units,” Palai added.

Meanwhile, the Commissionerate Police has made elaborate security arrangements for the India-Sri Lanka T-20 match at Barabati Stadium.

The Commissionerate Police on Sunday conducted a mock drill from the Biju Patnaik International Airport to Hotel Mayfair where the 87 rooms have been booked for both the teams. As per the schedule, both teams will reach Bhubaneswar on Monday afternoon from Visakhapatnam.

“63 platoons of the police force will be deployed in Cuttack and 18 platoons will in Bhubaneswar. CCTV cameras have been installed in every entry and exit points of the stadium through which we will be able to keep a close watch on the spectators,” said Police Commissioner YB Khurania.