Jagan Mohan Rao, the President of the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA), was taken into custody by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) in Hyderabad on Wednesday. The arrest is linked to allegations of a ticket scam during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium. A vigilance investigation revealed irregularities in ticket allocation and governance within the HCA. It is alleged that Rao, along with other HCA officials, exerted undue pressure on the IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) for additional tickets, including those intended for personal sale, and engaged in black-marketing activities.

The SRH franchise accused Rao of using intimidation, coercion, and blackmail tactics, claiming he even locked a corporate box just hours before a match to demand more complimentary tickets. This conduct allegedly breached a tri-party agreement between SRH, HCA, and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which stipulates that 10% of tickets are to be allocated as complimentary to HCA.

Following these accusations, the Telangana government ordered a vigilance inquiry. The CID registered a First Information Report (FIR) against Rao and other HCA officials after confirming allegations of power misuse and undue pressure on SRH. Previously, SRH and HCA had reached an agreement to maintain the allocation of 3,900 complimentary passes after a meeting.

SRH had appealed to both the BCCI and the IPL Governing Council to address what they described as recurring “blackmailing tactics” by HCA—a claim denied by the state association. The franchise also threatened to relocate their home matches if HCA continued its demands for additional complimentary tickets.

To resolve these issues, HCA Secretary R. Devraj organized a meeting with SRH officials at the stadium. During discussions, SRH proposed adhering strictly to the existing tri-party agreement to ensure proper ticket allocation. HCA agreed to maintain the current allocation of passes as per long-standing practice.

Both HCA and SRH have committed to working together amicably to enhance the spectator experience at the stadium. A joint statement emphasized their dedication to professional cooperation moving forward.