Woman duped of Rs 15 lakh as duo promises tickets for India-Pak cricket match

Police said the complainant used to run an event management company and had paid Rs 34 lakhs to one of the two accused, identified as Saurabh Nikam, towards arranging 18 tickets for the presidency class of the cricket stadium in Ahmedabad.

Mumbai: A 37-year-old man has been arrested but his accomplice is on the run for allegedly cheating a Mumbai-based woman entrepreneur to the tune of Rs 15 lakh by not giving her promised tickets for the India-Pakistan World Cup cricket match held last month.

Police said the complainant used to run an event management company and had paid Rs 34 lakhs to one of the two accused, identified as Saurabh Nikam, towards arranging 18 tickets for the presidency class of the cricket stadium in Ahmedabad.

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However, Nikam and another accused Venkat Mandala handed only nine tickets to the complainant. They threatened her when she asked for the rest of the tickets and also refused to return the money, a Mumbai Police official said on Sunday.

He said Mandala has close links with cricket bookies and with a hotelier based in Mumbai.

A deal for the tickets was allegedly finalised in a bungalow in Juhu, the official said.

A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including section 420 (Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property), he said, adding that further investigation is underway.