The Crime Investigation Department (CID) arrested Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) President Jagan Mohan Rao on Wednesday following a high-profile ticketing scam during the IPL 2025 season. The arrest stems from a vigilance inquiry into alleged irregularities in ticket distribution and sales at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad.
An FIR has been filed against Rao and several HCA officials for misuse of authority, ticket black-marketing, and governance failures. The Telangana Vigilance Commission, which led the investigation, reportedly discovered that Rao and his associates exerted pressure on the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) franchise to secure additional tickets for personal gain.
Allegations indicate that HCA officials locked the F3 corporate box, assigned to Lucknow Super Giants owner Sanjiv Goenka, ahead of the March 27 match. The move was allegedly intended to coerce SRH into providing 20 extra complimentary tickets, beyond the 10% allocation already granted under the tri-party agreement between SRH, HCA, and BCCI.
The SRH management accused Rao of intimidation, coercion, and blackmail, and refused to comply with further ticket demands. The HCA President reportedly sought another 10% of complimentary tickets for personal use, which SRH also rejected.
Amid rising tensions and SRH’s threat to relocate matches away from Hyderabad, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy ordered a thorough investigation led by Vigilance Director-General Kothakota Sreenivasa Reddy. The inquiry concluded that the allegations made by SRH were substantiated, prompting legal action against the HCA leadership.
This scandal has raised serious concerns about transparency and governance in sports administration, particularly within state-level cricket bodies.
