IPL betting racket busted, 8 arrested

Jharsuguda: The Brajrajnagar police on Monday busted an organised IPL betting racket operating through illegal online cricket gambling networks and arrested eight people.Police identified the accused as Gobind Das Mahant (35), Akash Srivastava (25), Vishal Kumar Ravi (27), Vim Kumar Ram (25), Mannu Singh (25), Shankar Prasad Ram (35), Rajiv Kumar (19), all residents of Brajrajnagar and Rahul Sahu (35) of Rajgangpur in Sundargarh district.Acting on credible intelligence inputs regarding organised online betting activities during the ongoing IPL tournament, police teams carried out coordinated raids at multiple locations in the Brajrajnagar area and unearthed a sophisticated betting syndicate allegedly operating through digital platforms and mobile applications.Police said the accused were running betting networks from rented houses using laptops, multiple smartphones, online betting applications and digital payment channels. According to investigators, the accused were continuously monitoring live IPL match trends and public betting patterns through online betting platforms and were operating on a commission-based structure.During the raids, police seized cash worth Rs 5,09,100, two laptops, 41 mobile phones, multiple SIM cards, digital betting records and two cars allegedly linked to the betting operations.A detailed financial investigation and money trail analysis have been initiated by the police. During the probe, transactions linked to the betting syndicate were identified, and nearly Rs 3.7 lakh has been frozen in different bank accounts as part of financial action against the organised crime network.Police said further investigation has revealed the involvement of additional facilitators and betting operators connected across different districts. Technical analysis of seized digital devices, online communication channels and financial transactions is underway to identify the complete interstate network and its financial beneficiaries.Jharsuguda SP GR Raghavendra Said, “Investigation into interstate financial linkages, digital evidence and upper-level handlers is underway. Jharsuguda police will continue strict action against illegal betting, cyber-enabled gambling and organised criminal networks.”