Pretending to be cricket fans in search of tickets, Kolkata policemen in plainclothes have arrested 17 people allegedly involved in selling at exorbitant prices the complimentary tickets for the fourth India-Sri Lanka one-dayer at the Eden Gardens on Thursday.
Polcie said the touts were
rounded up in the vicinity of Eden and 17 tickets were seized from them on Wednesday.
"They were charging astronomical amounts between Rs.3,000 to even Rs.12,000 for the tickets depending on the location of the galleries," a police officer said.
With only 53 percent of the seats in the 83,635-capacity stadium now available due to renovation work ahead of the 2011 World Cup, the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) did away with priced tickets for the match.
With the city hosting an ODI after more than 32 months, the craze for tickets has been high.