Neemuch (Madhya Pradesh): In a major crackdown on the online cricket Indian Premier League (IPL) betting operation, Neemuch police seized substantial assets related to the illicit operation and accounts worth Rs 5 crore. The police arrested nine bookies in this connection. SP Ankit Jaiswal issued stringent directives to all police station in-charges in the district, emphasising the need to combat betting and gambling, and specifically cricket betting during this ongoing IPL season.
A specialised team led by Baghana police station in-charge Vijay Sagaria received information regarding online IPL betting racket. Acting on the tip-off, cricket bookies Sunny Kapoor, Vijay Tiwari and Rajesh Ahir were apprehended engaged in online betting through the website Lotus 365 on Dhaneria road on Sunday night. Other associates Nilesh Regar, Vikas Nageri, Manoj Samdani, Kapil Soni, Bhavesh Vasu and Manish Pustak were also found to be involved in fraudulently obtaining SIM cards and creating fake bank accounts through Lotus 365.
The accused had been running this operation for approximately three years, employing deceptive tactics to lure customers into placing bets on various sports, promising profits.
The investigation uncovered 10 additional names associated with the accused, who would be apprehended soon. The seized assets include 2 laptops, 28 Android mobiles, 7 ATM cards, 8 chequebooks, 2 bank passbooks, 2 pen drives and a Grand i10 car, among other items used for betting purposes. A case was registeredáunder relevant sections of the IPC and Public Gambling Act.
