A cricket betting racket has raised its ugly head in the heart of Jamshedpur, putting police on high alert in the wake of the currently underway ICC World Twenty20 and the upcoming ninth season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The illegal business involving what is dubbed the gentlemen's game first came to the fore in the steel city after a youth received splinter injuries in a threat firing at a residential apartment in Kunjnagar, Sonari, on March 12. Victim Rahul Kumar (26) turned police informant and said the trigger was pulled by one Mohammed Jamshed (26), alias Jammu, over a betting dispute.

Late on Tuesday night, Jammu surrendered at the residence of SSP Anoop T. Mathew and conceded that he was angry for not being paid Rs 72,000, which he won for placing a bet in favour of Team India in the recently concluded Asia Cup T20 held in Bangladesh. India had beat Bangladesh by 8 wickets in the March 6 final to win their sixth Asia Cup title.

Jammu, during interrogation, also named local builder Mukul Sharma (35) as the kingpin of the betting racket being run in Sonari. Police, who have "strong reasons" to believe that the scandal involves big money, is collating evidence against Sharma before a swoop.

City SP Chandan Jha, who quizzed Jammu, told reporters that Sharma was the builder of the four-storey Pragati Apartments in Kunjnagar on whose top floor he owned a penthouse, which was the betting den and where the bullet was fired on Saturday night. The apartment was built four years ago, the possible duration of the racket, a source pointed out.

Besides Jammu, his younger brother Mohammed Pervez and their uncle Halim Ahmed were active gamblers at Mukul's penthouse. Names of one Manish Kumar and one Anuranjan Kumar have also surfaced in the racket.

"Anuranjan, one of the partners in the betting business, owed Jammu Rs 72,000 because he lost. Anuranjan was evasive and Jammu fired a round at the floor to intimidate him into paying. Splinters, accidentally, injured Rahul who is a friend of Anuranjan," SP Jha attempted a reconstruction of the crime scene.

Jha maintained that an FIR had been lodged against everyone except Rahul, who had turned informant, and Mukul against whom for evidence is needed because he wasn't present at the time of the incident.

"Jammu has been sent to judicial custody for attempted murder, misappropriation of money and for keeping unlicensed firearms. Several white-collared men are involved in the betting business. We will arrest them all," he added.

Dhalbhum SDO Suraj Kumar said they could not rule out more such rackets in the city with the ongoing T20 world cup and next month's IPL whipping up unbridled excitement among cricket fans. "This (Mukul's betting business) may just be the tip of the iceberg," he added.

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