Kolkata: Two cricket betting rackets were
busted and six bookies were arrested by the Kolkata police on Sunday.
Acting on a tip-off that a betting racket was active during the
India-Australia World Twenty20 match on March 27 at Mohali, the Kolkata Police
arrested Vishal Khoti, 25 a resident of the New Market area, Pankaj Chanda, 29
of Howrah's Golabari, Sumit Popli, 40 of Bangur and Sanjay Chowdhury, 41 of
Tangra from a five star hotel on Park Street. The police said that four persons
were nabbed from a hotel in the city's posh Park Street area, while two others,
Anil Agarwal, 40 and Pradip Jain, 45 were picked up from a residence on Ballygunge
Circular Road area last night.
A total of four laptops, 13 mobile phones, one pen drive, one card
reader, one wifi-router, one television set and a few documents have been
recovered from the six people.
One of the men arrested, Jain, was also arrested in 2005 on similar
charges. Police also suspect Popli, who is from Bangur, to have crucial links with the bigger gangs.
The cops are investigating the case further. Speaking on the incident,
an investigation officer said: “We are trying to get to the bigger gangs. With
India now having a good chance to qualify for the finals at Eden Gardens, this
betting is likely to pick up.”
A police source said: “Actually in the last month, we’ve neutralized
several gangs which resort to cricket betting and become active during
important games. Due to the seizure of several equipments and discovery of
their modus operandi, betting is slightly under control. But the weak laws
dealing with this of crime in this country led to most of the accused securing easy
bail so people who are involved in this activity are not scared. We expect
betting to continue for some time.”
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