Delhi High Court on Complimentary Match Passes

Source : Times of India

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) to issue only 10,000 complimentary passes for each of the four World Cup cricket matches to be played at the 41,000-capacity Ferozeshah Kotla stadium. 

Justice Sunil Gaur said: "DDCA should not issue more than 10,000 complimentary passes in each of the matches been played on different dates in Delhi. Remaining passes for tomorrow's (Thursday) match should be made online by evening for general public who want to book it," the court clarified while hearing a case filed by Jai Karan Singh, one of DDCA's oldest members, who had challenged the "arbitrary ways" of the association's executive committee in issuing complimentary tickets and sought a ceiling on it. 

"A total of 3,000 passes should be kept at the stadium gate so that match viewers can buy from there on the day of match also," Justice Gaur directed, adding that in future DDCA should sell 30,000 tickets online and at general outlets throughout Delhi. 

"Five thousand tickets should be sent to various banks in Delhi so that the cricket lovers can buy them there," the order says, adding the tickets of all rates should be available online. 

Singh had contended that the executive committee members issued free passes "at their whim and fancy for getting personal benefits not connected with the promotion of game of cricket". They said selling these tickets at a time when the cricket association was already running at a loss could have generated major revenue. 

In its reply, the executive committee denied issuing free passes and said it was only in response to certain "firm commitments". 

The committee also defended giving free tickets to officials of the Delhi government, Municipal Corporation of Delhi, traffic police and other civic agencies, saying they had to be "rewarded" in some way for their cooperation and support in holding the matches. 

The case will come up for hearing on April 28. 

The Kotla will host four matches during the World Cup: South Africa vs West Indies (Feb 24), West Indies vs Netherlands (Feb 28), Kenya vs Canada (Mar 7) and India vs Netherlands (March 9).