A police team will go to New Delhi in a week to investigate leads on betting rackets ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy to bust gambling dens operating in Patna.
All police stations in the city have been directed to be on the lookout for such gambling dens and study their modus operandi. The order was prompted by two IPL betting cases coming to light and six arrests last week.
Senior superintendent of police Manu Maharaj confirmed that a team is being formed to go to Delhi. “The police have stumbled upon some leads and a team will go to Delhi soon to probe betting games operating in Patna,” he said.
Sources said the police were using their intelligence network to dig out the technicalities of betting on cricket matches ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy starting on June 6 in England. The mobile phone records of six men arrested last week revealed several conversations had transpired between people based in Delhi and Calcutta.
“On May 27, officers of Patliputra police station had nabbed a group of six men indulging in betting in IPL. The phones of those arrested (belonging to a syndicate) were scanned and some numbers were found to originate from Delhi as well as Calcutta. Cops are still looking for the kingpin, who is said to be a bookie. This proves that the roots of this racket are running deep and hence a team is being sent to Delhi first to probe. Police suspect that betting is bound to rise during the ICC Champions Trophy, especially with India and Pakistan slated to clash on June 15,” a police officer said.
Cops added that the aim was to stop betting and gambling completely.
Another officer said: “In most police meetings, stress is laid on busting gambling dens in the city. Now, with at least two cases coming to the fore, fresh directions have been issued. Criminals, who are in to serious crime, also bet and gamble for which the innocent suffer in case of a loss.”
One of the four criminals arrested in connection with the murder of Danapur-based businessman Hari Mohan Prasad on May 31 was found to have lost Rs 20,000 in IPL match betting and was under pressure to repay creditors.
The officer added that several forms of betting like cards are popular in Patna. “The police are cracking down on the small games first so as to track intelligence leads on the big rackets. People involved in the small games definitely know about big rackets,” he said.
