Hyderabad: Malkajgiri police on Sunday arrested a man for allegedly impersonating senior government officials and representatives of cricket bodies to obtain Indian Premier League (IPL) passes from the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA).The accused, identified as Ashok, is said to have orchestrated the scheme over a period of time by making calculated phone calls to senior HCA office-bearers. Introducing himself as a key official from influential government departments or as a representative linked to other state cricket associations, he would request complimentary passes for high-profile IPL matches. Police suspect the accused had succeeded in the past, with some HCA office-bearers allegedly issuing passes based on his claims. The matter came to light after HCA officials grew suspicious of repeated requests and discrepancies in the caller’s claims. They alerted the police, following which Malkajgiri officers began discreet surveillance and verification.Acting on inputs from HCA officials, police laid a trap and nabbed him on Sunday. He was found carrying forged documents, which are now being verified.Investigators are questioning him to identify possible accomplices and to trace the extent of the fraud.
