The Allahabad High Court has dismissed a PIL concerning ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 matches at Lucknow's Ekana Cricket Stadium.
Justice Attau Rahman Masoodi and Justice Om Prakash Shukla granted the petitioner, Vipul Tripathi, the freedom to address his concerns with the UP-Cricket Association's ombudsman, tasked with handling public grievances regarding ticketing and stadium amenities.
The court issued this order in response to arguments by the BCCI and the UPCA that a writ petition might not be applicable to private parties, suggesting that any grievances should be addressed with the UPCA's 'Ombudsman.'
In the PIL, the central issue revolved around the BCCI's decision to set a base price of Rs. 499 for four out of five Cricket matches in Lucknow (scheduled between October 12 and November 3), while the India vs. England match (slated for October 29) had a significantly higher starting price of Rs. 3250.
During the court proceedings, the respondents' lawyers argued that the ticket prices were set in line with those at other stadiums across the country, taking into consideration the stadium's capacity and the level of demand.
The respondents also emphasized that tickets were offered at a reasonable price starting at Rs. 1500 and above, taking into account both availability and demand factors.
In the context of educational interest, it was highlighted that free entry for students from all educational institutions was provided for events with lower ticket demand.
Recognizing the efforts made to promote sports education and the establishment of a system for addressing public grievances, the Court declined to intervene in the matter, while allowing the petitioners the option to raise their grievances if they persist.
TAGS: PIL plea BCCI ticket price disparity base price cricket matches court order counsel arguments.
