A major theft has rocked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), with IPL 2025 team jerseys worth Rs. 6.5 lakh reportedly stolen from its Mumbai office at the Wankhede Stadium, according to a report by The Times of India.
40-year old accused security guard, Farooque Aslam Khan was caught after stealing 261 jerseys. Each jersey was valued at approximately Rs. 2,500. He has since been arrested by the police.
The theft occurred on June 13, but it only came to light when BCCI officials noticed missing stock during a routine audit. A review of the CCTV footage revealed Khan leaving the premises with a box containing the stolen merchandise.
Theft Linked to Online Gambling
The police revealed that Khan stole the jerseys to support his addiction to online gambling. He sold the stolen items to an online dealer based in Haryana, whom he had contacted via social media.
“The guard claims he haggled a bit with the online dealer, but he hasn’t yet specified how much he got for the deal,” a police source told TOI.
Investigators are now checking Khan’s bank account to verify whether he actually received money from the dealer. “He [the guard] claims he lost it all to online gambling,” the police source added.
Jerseys Misrepresented as Clearance Stock
According to police, the Haryana-based buyer claimed he was unaware the jerseys were stolen. “The online dealer says he was not aware that the jerseys had been stolen,” said a police source.
The buyer was reportedly informed by the guard that the jerseys were part of the stock clearing offer because of renovation work at the BCCI office.
Ongoing Investigation and Recovery
There were a total of 261 jerseys that were stolen and only 50 has been recovered until now. It is still not certain if the stolen kits were intended for players or as part of fan merchandise.
The BCCI filed a formal complaint to the Marine Drive Police Station on July 17 about the theft. Investigations continue to follow up on the rest of the jerseys and ascertain the amount of financial loss.
