A reaction that would have seemed natural during Brazil's opening game of the World Cup has managed to land two fans in hot water with the Brazilian authorities.
Pictures have emerged of two fans jumping out of their wheelchairs to stand up and cheer during various moments of the opening match between Brazil and Croatia on June 12 in Sao Paulo, UK MailOnline reported. Disabled spots in stadiums are particularly valuable since they come with a free ticket for the wheelchair-user's companion.
Before the World Cup started, cheaper tickets were released by FIFA specifically for pensioners, students and disabled fans. But pictures of youths and apparently able people occupying the seats have started cropping up on social media sites
Authorities in Brazil fear that limited concession seats are being sold on the black market, with spots being denied to disabled fans that genuinely need them.
A total of 22 CCTV images are being investigated by Brazilian police portraying fans to have arrived at stadiums in wheelchairs, but standing up to cheer during crucial moments of the game. There are also about 30 pictures online of similar scenes captured by fans on smartphones.
Among the pictures which have been uploaded online, some were taken at the opening game of the tournament in Sao Paulo, between Brazil and Croatia.
"The World Cup is creating miracles," Brazil supporter Andrea Dias joked about the viral pictures. Lawyer Sonita Hayward wrote, "Bet they're not feeling so clever now."
"In Brazil, it is a criminal offence to sell a ticket for more than face value, with touts facing four years in prison if caught. Despite this, many have been caught selling tickets illegally at grounds and on websites like Facebook," according to UK MailOnline.
"The tickets are being bought in some cases for up to £1,000 for a game, which is as much as ten times their face value."
