Mumbai: Five arrested for running betting racket on IPL matches

Police seized ₹97,000, eight mobile phones, a laptop and an Audi car, worth a total of ₹9 lakh from their possession.

NM Joshi Marg police busted a cricket betting racket and arrested five people including a woman from a five-star hotel in Lower Parel for allegedly accepting bets on Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 cricket matches. Police seized ₹97,000, eight mobile phones, a laptop and an Audi car, worth a total of ₹9 lakh from their possession.

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The arrested accused are Pravesh Rajesh Bafna, Chetan Lalchand Salecha, Ayushi Prasad Kesarkar, Kiran Kantilal Shah and Rajesh Amritlal Jain, all residents of Mumbai.

Senior inspector Pratap Bhosale of NM Joshi Marg police station received specific input that few people were running a cricket betting racket using a mobile app from a five-star hotel on the match between Chennai Super Kings and Punjab Kings.

Acting on the tip-off, a police team raided the hotel room on Friday around 9pm and nabbed three persons — Bafna, Salecha and Kesarkar. After questioning the trio, police arrested Shah and Jain on Sunday, said a police officer.

“During interrogation, we found that the accused were watching live cricket on lotusbook247.com and were allegedly found betting money on cricket players. The accused were found using illegal gambling websites to cheat people by accepting money and betting on IPL cricket matches,” said Bhosale.