Sambalpur: Betting is rampant during the ongoing IPL cricket matches not just here but elsewhere too. The city police kept a close watch on the happenings, busted such a racket and effected some arrests.
Police said six persons were arrested Saturday night in a well-planned raid by a special squad at a gambling den near the Sindurpank petrol pump in Sadar police station area. They were booking bets for the Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians match.
Briefing the media, Sambalpur SP Sanjiv Arora said a case was registered at the Sadar police station. All the bookings and other dealings were done by the help of mobile phones through some customised software. Police recovered Rs 67,000 in cash and 10 smart mobile phone sets from those who used them for booking bets.
The SP said it was a hi-tech operation by an interstate betting racket that had, over a period of time, spread its nets from Sambalpur to some locations in neighbouring Chhattisgarh. The local kingpin of the racket was Bulu alias Tapan Kherual (28), a resident of Mahavirgali in Khetrajpur. A mobile handset along with Rs 48,000 in cash was seized from his possession.
The other arrested were Rajesh Agrawal, 44, a resident of Mahavir Chowk at Rengali, Bitu alias Rahdeep Agrawal, 41, of Samleimandirpada, and Sudarshan Mishra, 32, also of Samleimandirpada. All the three lived in Rengali police station area. The other arrested were Saroj Hota, 37, of SRIT colony in Ainthapali police station area and Akash Agrawal, 22, of Khetrajpur.
