Pune: Online gambling dens operating behind curtains in lottery shops, video gaming centres busted; 16 arrested
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The social security cell of Pune city police raided three online gambling dens allegedly being run under the garb of lottery and video gaming centres in the Kondhwa area, and arrested 16 people. Officials said they are looking for a dozen more suspects.
Officials said they had received information that three shops located in two adjacent commercial complexes in Kondhwa, which were licensed for the sale of state-authorised lottery tickets and also as video gaming centres, were running online gambling rackets.
A coordinated raid was conducted on the evening of July 23 by teams from the social security cell led by inspector Rajesh Puranik along with a team of trainee police sub-inspectors who recently joined the city police. At the time of the raid and subsequently, the police arrested the owners of these shops, some recordkeepers employed at the shops and some people who had come to gamble.
Police officials said that these centres were running online gambling rackets by putting up curtains at the main entrance of the shops. “Our probe suggests that these racketeers were using various online gambling applications, including that of Matka gambling. Those who came for placing bets on specific numbers were writing their number bets on a plastic sheet and then taking a photo of it before erasing the number. And then the results are taken out using a computer or phone-based gambling application. Thus there is hardly any evidence or paper trail that is left behind. This illegal operation involves a conspiracy by owners of the dens, bookies, people who run and own these online applications,” said an officer who was part of the investigation.
The officer added: “Because this racket makes extensive use of online applications, we have invoked the Information Technology Act, along with the Maharashtra Prohibition of Gambling Act in addition to Indian Penal Code (IPC) provisions pertaining to cheating and criminal conspiracy.”
Officials said that they launched a search for more suspects who either managed to flee from the spot when the raid happened or were identified later to be involved in the racket or its online operation. They said that action against gambling dens running under the garb of lottery shops and gaming centres would continue in the city.
