The Kolkata Police took action on Thursday by summoning the president of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB), Snehasish Ganguly, for interrogation in connection with the black marketing of cricket World Cup tickets.
As per police sources, Snehasish Ganguly, who happens to be the brother of former Indian cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly, did not respond to the notice that was dispatched to him. He was given a 24-hour timeframe to appear before the police. In the event that he does not comply with this summons by tonight, the police authorities stated their intention to send another notice to the CAB president.
On the following day, two representatives from BookMyShow adhered to the summons and appeared at the police station. They were questioned by a special team from the Kolkata Police Detective Department regarding the allegations.
A senior police official reported that thus far, the Kolkata Police have seized 94 cricket World Cup tickets, and 16 individuals have been apprehended in connection with the alleged involvement in ticket black marketing. Seven separate cases have been registered to address this issue.
The case was filed on Wednesday after a complaint was lodged. The complainant claimed that officials from BookMyShow, the CAB, and the BCCI had reserved a substantial number of tickets designated for the general public, subsequently making them available to black-market dealers for their personal gain. Consequently, the general public was unable to secure tickets for the upcoming match between India and South Africa scheduled to be held at Eden Gardens on November 5.
Apart from the notice that was issued to Snehasish Ganguly, summonses were also dispatched to both the CAB and BookMyShow, seeking the presence of authorized personnel at Maidan police station on Thursday. However, the CAB officials failed to appear at the police station as instructed, opting to respond via email instead. In their email response, they disavowed any responsibility for the ticket distribution process and disclaimed any involvement with BookMyShow, indicating that these matters were within the jurisdiction of the BCCI. Following this, the police issued another summons to the CAB, reiterating their request for in-person questioning.
