A canteen worker at Bengaluru’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium was arrested for selling IPL tickets in the black market at inflated prices. The Central Crime Branch probe has uncovered a wider racket involving a KSCA member and private firms, with tickets worth several lakhs allegedly diverted and resold illegally during RCB home matches.
The M Chinnaswamy Stadium, the venue for the Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s home matches, witnessed a major controversy after a canteen worker was arrested for selling tickets on the black market amid the ongoing season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Bengaluru’s iconic cricket stadium has hosted three home matches of the RCB so far, with the defending champions winning all three games against Sunrisers Hyderabad, Chennai Super Kings, and Lucknow Super Giants, which also led to extremely high demand for tickets throughout the season.
Ahead of the RCB’s fourth home game against the Delhi Capitals at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, a major scam involving the illegal resale of IPL tickets at inflated prices, which led to the arrest of the canteen staff at the venue.
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How did the Chinnaswamy Ticket Scam happen?
The Bengaluru Central Crime Branch (CCB) investigated the matter after receiving specific inputs about bulk booking of IPL tickets through online platforms and their subsequent diversion to the black market, wherein the tickets were sold at inflated prices through intermediaries linked to insiders at the stadium.
According to the report by NDTV, the accused, Chandrashekhar, an employee of the Sri Lakshmi Canteen inside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, was arrested by the CCB officials after he was caught selling over 180 tickets at a price between INR 15,000 and INR 19,000, amounting to a total racket worth approximately ₹17.5 lakh, according to police officials.
It was reported that the black tickets were sold for the high-stakes IPL 2026 match between the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Lucknow Super Giants in Bengaluru, which was held on April 15, and later resold illegally at inflated prices through intermediaries linked to insiders.
The M Chinnaswamy Ticket Scam case came to notice after officials of the Bengaluru Central Crime Branch received credible intelligence about irregular bulk ticket purchases and their suspected diversion into the black market, prompting a targeted investigation that eventually led to the arrest of the canteen worker involved.
Bigger Network Under Scanner in Ticket Scam Probe
The canteen worker, Chandrashekhar, was not only involved in the Chinnaswamy Ticket Scam but also allegedly part of a larger network suspected of coordinating bulk ticket purchases and illegal resale operations.
As per the report by NDTV, the tickets were purchased under the names of Swastik Heavy Engineering and Industrial Automation Consultant Company, alongside 50 tickets under the name of Dharani Computers Company. As per the findings by the police, these tickets were later diverted to the black market and sold at inflated prices.
The CCB stated that a similar pattern of the ticket scam also took place during the clash between the Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Chennai Super Kings on March 28.
It was reported that 81 tickets were sold at a rate of around ₹6.6 lakh in that earlier match, with the same companies allegedly using the bulk booking before the tickets were later diverted and resold in the black market at inflated prices.
With 181 tickets sold, the prices were significantly increased and inflated during resale, taking the overall estimated value of the illegal transactions to around INR 17.5 lakh, according to police officials involved in the investigation.
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KSCA Member Absconding
The canteen worker, Chandrashekhar, was just one part of the operation; the Kerala State Cricket Association (KSCA) member Ganesh Pareekshit is also suspected to be involved in the scam, which saw the tickets allegedly procured in bulk and later diverted to the black market for resale at inflated prices.
According to the police officials, Chandrashekar stated that Ganesh reportedly instructed him to sell the tickets at higher rates. A KSCA member is currently absconding after allegedly playing a key role in the distribution and coordination of the illegal sale of IPL tickets for RCB’s home matches.
Moreover, the police have registered a case against the private companies for their alleged role in the illegal sale of IPL 2026 tickets at the M Chinnaswamy.
It remains to be seen whether further arrests will be made as the CCB continues its investigation to uncover the full extent of the ticket black-marketing network linked to IPL 2026 matches at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium.
