Pune: The Pune rural police’s local crime branch team busted the IPL betting racket in Shirur (69 kms from Pune) and seized goods worth Rs 73,505 on Saturday.
On receiving a tip-off, a team led by police inspector Padmakar Ghanwat and other police personnel Amol Gore, Dayanand Liman, Rauf Inamdar, Momin, Shelke, Kamble, Akshay Jawale raided the spot on Saturday. During the raid, the suspect Rahul Gorakh Ghodke fled the spot.
According to police, a LCD TV, a mobile phone, two registers, a set-top box and Rs 12,280 in cash total worth Rs 73,505 was seized from the spot. A case has been registered against him under the Prevention of Gambling Act, police added.
Recently, two persons were arrested for allegedly running a betting racket during a IPL match on Friday from a moving vehicle. Pimpri-Chinchwad police have identified the accused as Lalchand Devidas Sharma (49) and Chetan Jayramdas Kotwani (50), both residing in Pimpri. Police said action was taken as part of the ‘zero tolerance’ operation launched.
This year’s IPL is held in UAE amid the rising cases of novel coronavirus in India. Though the action is outside the country, however, there are many who literally shouting, cheering on every ball of the ongoing T20 cricket matches not only they love the game but they have money at stake and are running a dark network of betting on IPL matches with their setup of laptops, mobiles and registers to maintain records.
The Indian police in states like Uttar Pradesh, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Goa, Delhi and the NCR has actively launched a crackdown on betting modules, arresting several who were caught red-handed from small flats to resorts in India.
