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Gujarat police stunned at being kept in dark over bookies’ arrest
The arrest of seven bookies in Gujarat in the spotfixing scam unearthed by Delhi /Mumbai police has stunned the Gujarat police, who completely failed to get even a slight inkling of the entire operation which has shocked the cricket-crazy country. Mahesh Langa reports.
The arrest of seven bookies in Gujarat in the spotfixing scam unearthed by Delhi /Mumbai police has stunned the Gujarat police, who completely failed to get even a slight inkling of the entire operation which has shocked the cricket-crazy country.
In the entire operation in which Gujarat has emerged as the hub of betting syndicates, Delhi/Mumbai police have apparently kept their Gujarat counterparts in dark, fearing that leak of information would have foiled the operation.
"We were not aware about any movement by Mumbai or Delhi police in this connection. Normally, out state police do share information or seek help of the local police but in this operation, it didn't happen," a senior police official from Ahmedabad said.
No secret
The reason Gujarat cops were kept in dark is not secret among police and intelligence circles. "Many police officials in Gujarat, particularly at lower level, are considered hand in gloves with betting syndicate operators, who deal in crores," a senior police official, who served in the state intelligence bureau said, adding that the police and bookies nexus in Gujarat is almost open secret.
Sources also believe that a few more bookies of Gujarat are likely to be arrested in the spot -fixing scam with the Delhi and Mumbai police widening the probe.
"We have asked the CID (crime), state intelligence bureau, crime branch of Ahmedabad, Rajkot, Surat and district SPs to increase surveillance on activities related to cricket betting in the state," additional chief secretary (home) SK Nanda said after the Delhi police busted the scam.
