Crime
Police Crack Down on Illegal IPL Betting Network in Babji Nagar
City police dismantled an alleged online IPL betting network operating from a rented house in Babji Nagar and arrested eight individuals, including an IT employee and a banking professional, during a late-night raid.
City police on Wednesday uncovered an alleged online betting racket linked to Indian Premier League matches and arrested eight individuals during a raid conducted in the Babji Nagar area.
According to police officials, the accused were allegedly involved in accepting online bets related to IPL cricket matches through digital platforms and communication networks. The operation was carried out following intelligence inputs regarding suspicious betting activities being conducted from a residential property.
The arrested individuals were identified as Kunal Das (28), Rajendra Das (23), Ramaswami (31), Chinmay Kumar Sahu (24), Anand Pradhan (22), Avinash Thakur (29), Shashank Negi (29), and Vikash Biswal (21).
Deputy Commissioner of Police Rajesh Kumar Tripathi stated that four of the accused are residents of Odisha, while the remaining individuals belong to Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh.
Police sources revealed that among those arrested are an IT professional and a bank official, raising concerns about the involvement of educated professionals in illegal online gambling operations. Investigators are now examining mobile phones, laptops, bank transactions, and digital records seized during the raid to determine the scale of the betting network.
Authorities suspect that the gang may have been connected to a larger interstate betting syndicate operating during the IPL season. Further investigation is underway to identify additional links, financial transactions, and possible online betting platforms used by the accused.
Police officials reiterated that strict action would continue against illegal betting and cyber-enabled gambling activities, especially during major sporting events that often witness increased online wagering.