Bhubaneswar, July 12: Gambling has become a concern for police with more than 30 arrested for the offence in the past three months. Besides, the cops have seized lakhs of rupees from various dens in the city.
The cops have found involvement of even businessmen in the rackets. In recent past, they had busted such dens behind the heads of the departments (HOD) building at Unit-5.
Sources said gambling had been rampant in the Bhubaneswar Railway Station area, especially late in the night. Usually, the racket involves two to three people. While one of the gang members keep on winning money, the other entices gullible people to invest.
"They deliberately ensure that the target wins some money in the initial stages and eventually enticed into putting larger sum of money. Then the victim loses and if he demands his money back, the gang members threaten him with dire consequences," said a police official.
The games include dice and cards, especially manga patta and teen patti. The cops said while some opt for gambling to earn quick money, others indulge in it just for fun.
"Besides, there are compulsive gamblers who are addicted to it. We were shocked to find the involvement of rich transport businessmen in the racket," said a police official.
Sources said gambling units not only operate in small tents on roadside, some are run from hotels and lodges.
"The unit near the Bhubaneswar railway station starts operating after 2am and continues till 5am," a source said. The gambling activity generally increases during festivals such as Raja, Dusshera and Diwali.
Residents blamed it on the absence of post-raid vigilance, which often leads to resumption of the illegal activity at the same place.
"The gamblers often consume alcohol and ganja and also commit petty crimes such as snatching and theft," said Anil Das, a resident of Keshura on the city outskirts.
The police last month had busted a gambling unit operating in Keshura and had seized cash worth Rs 1.63 lakh.
Deputy commissioner of police, Satyabrata Bhoi said they had been conducting frequent raids on the gambling dens. "We have been deploying our men in plainclothes in vulnerable areas to bust units," said Bhoi.
