Hyderabad’s Crime Investigation Department (CID) arrested Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) President Jagan Mohan Rao on Wednesday. This arrest comes after severe accusations of a ticket scam allegedly perpetrated at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium during the current Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season.
A careful investigation into the circumstances revealed many anomalies relating to ticket sales and governance systems inside the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA). It is alleged that Jagan Mohan Rao, along with other HCA officials, put pressure on the Indian Premier League (IPL) team Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to obtain more tickets. It includes ones meant for personal resale, and they participated in the illegal black-market of tickets.
SRH claims Rao used blackmail, coercion, and intimidation methods; they contend he even locked a corporate box just hours before a match to get additional free tickets. Responding to these allegations, the Telangana administration ordered a surveillance investigation, which resulted in the CID registering a First Information Report (FIR) against Rao and other HCA officials after the inquiry confirmed charges of power abuse and undue pressure applied to the SRH franchise.
Following a conference, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) and the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) had struck an agreement to maintain the category distribution of 3,900 free passes. SRH has approached the BCCI and the IPL Governing Council, asking for intervention to stop what they termed as ongoing blackmailing tactics used by the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA), a charge the state association has dismissed.
Moreover, SRH threatened to consider moving their home matches to another state should the Hyderabad Cricket Association keep up their threats against the franchise, especially on the question of more free tickets. As revenge, SRH threatened to move their Hyderabad games. Hyderabad Cricket Association Secretary R. Devraj set up a meeting with SRH authorities at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium to help settle.
