Cops bust IPL betting racket; several arrested

Cash, mobiles, TV sets seized

The Central Crime Branch (CCB) police arrested several persons in separate raids for running a betting racket during the IPL T20 cricket match between Chennai Super Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore.

In the first case, the police raided a room adjacent to SLN Welfare Association, opposite SI Apartment, Teachers Colony, Sarjapura Ring Road in Madiwala police limits, and arrested Gajendra, 53, for carrying out a cricket betting. The police recovered Rs 12 lakh, a cellphone, a television set and a car, said the police.

Four persons were arrested after another raid at Gold Gym at RA Fitness Solution in
JP Nagar.

The arrested are: Himam, 60; Satish Gowda, 40; Rakesh Prakash, 35; and Praveen, 35. Rs 5.30 lakh, 21 cellphones, blank cheques, a high-end car and other articles used for cricket betting, all valued at Rs 30 lakh, were recovered from the arrested.

In the third case, the police raided a house on 4th Cross in Saraswathipuram in Nandini Layout police limits, and arrested Girish, 30, and recovered Rs 1.71 lakh, a television set and a cellphone.

A case was registered against him for indulging in cricket betting, said the police.
The police suspect that all the accused were involved in the same betting network in the City.

Bookies

They acted as per the directions of bookies Appi, Sunil, Srinivas, Koli, Venkatesh and Raju.

The bookies would receive instructions from another bookie Rakesh, who is in Mumbai. They would receive a two percent commission from Rakesh. They were carrying out betting worth Rs 3 crore, said the police.

In another incident, the Kadugodi police arrested three persons for indulging in a cricket betting and recovered Rs 18,000 in cash and three mobile phones.

The suspects are: Syed Ilias, 33; Siddiqui, 29; and Arif Pasha, 29, all residents of Koramangala.

On a tip-off, the police raided the house owned by Azmath in Patalamma Layout when an IPL T20 cricket match was being played between Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings recently.

The three had collected money from various sources using a cellphone as per the directions of their bosses.