Fake IPL Ticket Racket Busted in Lucknow: Four Arrested for Cheating Cricket Fans Outside Ekana Stadium

The craze surrounding the Indian Premier League often draws massive crowds to stadiums across the country, with thousands of cricket lovers willing to spend heavily for a chance to watch their favourite stars in action.

But in Lucknow, that excitement turned into disappointment for several fans after a fake IPL ticket racket operating outside the Ekana Stadium was busted by the Uttar Pradesh Police.

Police on Thursday arrested four men from Chhattisgarh for allegedly printing and selling counterfeit currency

Counterfeit IPL tickets to unsuspecting spectators during matches in Lucknow.

Investigators said the accused had been running the operation in a well-planned manner and had even travelled to Delhi and other cities in the past to sell fake tickets during major cricket events.

According to police officials, the arrested men have been identified as Shrikant Borkar (30), Nutan Kumar Sahu (28), Rajendra Chaudhary (29), and Vishwajeet Sahu (22).

During preliminary questioning, the accused reportedly revealed that they created fake match tickets using original ticket designs collected from social media platforms.

They then used graphic design software, including the CorelDRAW application, to produce counterfeit copies that looked nearly identical to genuine tickets.

Police said the group had different professional backgrounds. Shrikant and Rajendra were involv

ed in the car wash business, while Nutan and Vishwajeet worked as designers. Officials added that Shrikant also possessed design skills and assisted in preparing the fake tickets.

The case came to light after a cricket fan from Uttar Pradesh’s Jalaun district approached the police with a complaint.

According to officials, Pradeep Singh had travelled to Lucknow to watch an IPL match at the Ekana Stadium. Outside the venue, he allegedly purchased two tickets from unidentified persons and transferred ₹1,000 online through a UPI payment link provided by them.

However, when Pradeep reached the entry gate and presented the tickets for verification, stadium staff discovered that the tickets were fake and denied him entry.

Shocked and frustrated, he later filed a complaint at the Sushant Golf City police station.

Following the complaint, police launched an investigation and began tracking the suspects.

Acting on a tip-off, a police team conducted a raid near Dodhan Khera crossing in Lucknow and arrested the four accused.

During interrogation, Rajendra Chaudhary reportedly told investigators that financial difficulties and the desire to raise money for opening a new office pushed the group toward the illegal operation.

Police said Vishwajeet, who specialised in 2D, 3D and elevation designing, played a major role in creating the counterfeit tickets.

He allegedly told officers that he had learned graphic design through coaching classes and YouTube tutorials.

According to investigators, the idea for the racket emerged after some of the accused had previously purchased black-market tickets for a cricket match in Raipur and managed to enter the stadium without any issues.

That experience reportedly convinced them that fake or unofficial tickets could easily be circulated among eager fans during high-profile matches.

Encouraged by that loophole, the group allegedly began designing counterfeit IPL tickets and selling them outside stadiums where crowds and excitement made it easier to target unsuspecting buyers.

Police are now investigating whether the accused were part of a larger network involved in ticket fraud across multiple cities.

Officials are also examining their digital devices and transaction records to identify how many fake tickets may have already been sold during the IPL season.

The incident has once again highlighted the risks faced by sports fans who buy tickets from unauthorised sellers outside stadiums, especially during high-demand events like IPL matches, where genuine tickets often sell out quickly online.

Police have advised cricket fans to purchase tickets only through official platforms and authorised vendors to avoid falling victim to similar frauds.