Three arrested on charges of forgery

Police have arrested Goa Cricket Association treasurer Rama Shankar Das and two others for alleged forgery and cheating even as the interrogation into the scam relating to the sale of `duplicate' tickets for the fifth and final India-Australia one-day International match was continuing.

The superintendent of police, South Goa, ID Shukla, today said the three - Das, a ticket contractor Chinmay Fallari and one `associate' of his, Jayaraman, hailing from Tamil Nadu - were arrested last night.

Police had begun interrogation yesterday of GCA secretary, Vinod Phadke, and the treasurer following allegations of sale of `duplicate' tickets for the match on April 6 in Goa.

Shukla said Phadke's interrogation was on while Shankar Das, Fallari and Jayaraman have been arrested under different sections of the Indian Penal Code, including cheating and forgery.

It was found during investigations that 20,000 `bogus' tickets of Rs 1000, Rs 750, Rs 500 and Rs 200 denominations had been printed, he said.

Thousands of cricket fans with tickets had to return home disappointed as they were denied entry to the stadium, which was packed to capacity, and many had to face the wrath of a police-lathi charge for the ensuing chaos.