Indore: Police busted a gang indulged in online betting and recovered Rs 1.31 lakh from their possession on Wednesday. The accused were using a software game for betting online. Rs 1.5 crore was frozen by the police in more than a dozen bank accounts opened by the accused. A software engineer, who developed a betting software game, was also arrested by the police.
DIG Harinarayanachari Mishra said under the action being taken against people indulged in online betting, Mhow police station staff received information a few days ago that an online betting racket is being operated at the place of one Raju alias Lokesh Verma in Mhow. Then, the police team raided the place in Gujarkhdea area under Mhow police station jurisdiction and detained Vikas Yadav of Khandwa, Jitendra Lowanshi of Hoshangabad, Hemant Gupta and Sonu Gupta from there.
During questioning, the accused informed the police that Raju alias Lokesh Verma is the kingpin of the racket and the persons arrested from there are his employees. The police came to know that one Palash Abhichandani and Shubham Kalmen were also involved in the betting with Verma. Then, Mhow police registered a case under section 420, 120-B of the IPC and police arrested all 9 accused including prime accused Lokesh Verma.
MODUS OPERANDI
During the investigation, police came to know that Raju alias Lokesh Verma had taken Aadhaar Cards and PAN cards of needy people in the name of opening shops for them. On the basis of the documents, accused Verma prepared trade licenses and opened the current account in various banks. Accused used to deposit betting money in these bank accounts. So far, the police came to know about 13 such bank accounts in which the transactions of over Rs 53 crore were found in the last six months.
Police came to know that software engineer Manoj alias Monty Malviya of Palda area of the city had developed the software of ‘Dhan Game’ platform through which the accused were betting online. Verma was betting online through the software for two years and he had bought the property worth about Rs 6 crore in Mhow and in Indore. Following the lead given by the accused, Software engineer Manoj alias Monty was also arrested by the police. Monty used to help Verma in running the software well.
DIG further said that the accused used to share the amount earned through betting with the help of hawala operation. So far, Rs 1.31,66,623 were seized from the accused and Rs 1.5 crore were frozen in the various bank accounts.
It is said that for the first time in the history of the state police, the police have seized such a huge amount from the people indulged in betting. Also, the police have informed the Enforcement Directorate to investigate the money at their level.
