IPL betting racket busted in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore; 8 arrested

In a significant crackdown on illicit gambling activities surrounding the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket matches, the Indore police announced the dismantling of a high-stakes betting racket. The operation resulted in the arrest of eight individuals allegedly involved in organizing the gambling network, a police official revealed on Thursday.

Acting on a credible tip-off, law enforcement authorities swooped down on a flat nestled within a multi-storey building in the Lasudia area of Indore, Madhya Pradesh. The arrests were made late Wednesday night, with the suspects reportedly engaging in online betting activities via a website, according to Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police, Crime Branch, Rajesh Dandotia.

The accused, employing deceptive tactics, had acquired mobile phone SIM cards under false identities to facilitate their illicit operations. Utilizing QR codes, they solicited betting amounts from punters, the official disclosed.

"Interrogation of the suspects unveiled a sprawling online betting network spanning several states including Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Maharashtra," stated Dandotia.

Upon raiding the premises, law enforcement confiscated a cache of incriminating evidence. Among the seized items were 22 mobile phones, 17 cheque books, five laptops, 21 bank passbooks, and 31 ATM cards. Additionally, registers containing detailed accounts of crores of rupees from online betting transactions were seized, providing further insight into the scale of the operation.