West Bengal Governor returns World Cup match tickets amidst Black marketing rumours

West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose has decided to return four complimentary tickets for the India vs South Africa World Cup match at Eden Gardens, citing concerns about black-market activities. These tickets were originally provided to him by the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB). In response, he has chosen to open "Janata Stadium" to allow fans to attend the game, addressing the ticketing issue.

Bose has announced that 500 individuals will be granted entry on a first-come-first-served basis between 12 noon and 2 pm to witness the match. Additionally, fans have the option to request online access to the Raj Bhavan lawn. This decision follows multiple reports of ticket black marketing for the upcoming Sunday match, prompting the Raj Bhavan grievance cell to take action.

"The governor has returned the complimentary tickets to CAB. He has decided to open a ‘Janata Stadium' at the Raj Bhavan, where people can watch the match on a giant screen,” the official said as quoted by NDTV.

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BCCI and CAB summoned as black marketing of World Cup tickets under the scanner 

In light of the complaint regarding the alleged black marketing of World Cup match tickets intended for the general public, the Kolkata police recently issued summons to officials from the Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI) and Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB). Given the continued public and fan outrage, Bose' decision to act is seen as necessary. 

A complaint was filed with the Maidan police station in Kolkata by a fan, claiming that due to collusion between the online platform BookMyShow and officials from CAB and BCCI, tickets for India vs South Africa match at Eden Gardens on November 5 are not being made available to the general public.

“It has been alleged that certain officials of the BCCI, along with officials of the CAB and the online portal BookMyShow, has purposefully put aside a large chunk of the tickets meant for the general public, making those available to the black marketers for the purpose of their personal gains,” said a senior police official.