Bhopal police on Saturday seized over Rs 1 crore from different spots while carrying out its operation against betting ring. The money however was also likely to be used in the polls. In the raids at seven places, the highest amounts seized were Rs 56 lakh and Rs 29 lakh. An amount of Rs 29 lakh was seized from Bharat Soni, owner of Bharat tent house at Habibganj while Rs 56 lakh were seized from Naresh Hemtani from his house at Mahabali Nagar in Kolar.
Hemtani had concealed the money in an almirah when police team arrived on being informed about a betting den bring operated form his house. However, after the cash was seized he was asked to produce the details of the money but he failed to provide proper reply. He was then detained and team of income tax was also informed.
Soni on the other hand was arrested from his office in Habibganj area where he had kept the money which is likely to be related to betting. He also failed to show the documents of the money seized and the teams informed the income tax (I-T) department. Soni runs a tent house business while Hemtani runs a bakery in Kolar.
In another raid at Hanumanganj, the accused Sanjeet Chawla was arrested for possessing Rs 11 lakh at his shop located at bus stand. Two mobile phones have also been seized from his possession. Over Rs 6 lakh were seized from other spots at Idgah hills and Ashoka garden areas from the houses of Jaiprakash Meghani and Chetan Wadhwani. They live in Shahjahanabad and Ashoka Garden areas respectively.
Rs 2.3 lakh was also seized from Chunabhatti from the Western Plaza and a man Manoharlal Talreza was booked for possessing the amount as he also failed to show the supporting documents. In these seven raids, the police have informed I-T department and are also probing if the money had any link with the polls, said superintendent of police (SP) South Sampat Upadhyay.
