The Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar (MBVV) police’s crime branch unit (central) has arrested a small-time bookie, Hiren Shantilal Patel, 49, for indulging in betting on the ongoing Ashes cricket test series being played between England and Australia.
Acting on a tip-off, the police caught the bookie while accepting and placing bets from an office in a building behind Maxus Mall in Bhayandar West at around 9.30 pm on Thursday. Patel was found using user IDs and passwords of various online betting applications installed on his smartphone.
An offence under the relevant sections of the Prevention of Gambling Act and Indian Telegraph Act has been registered. The police are conducting further investigations and have not ruled out the possibility of more arrests in the case.
