Crime branch to question film producer in IPL betting probe
Hindi film producer Nitin Manmohan is likely to appear before the Mumbai crime branch on Monday, for questioning in connection with allegations that cricket bookies financed his film Gali Gali Chor Hai.
Hindi film producer Nitin Manmohan is likely to appear before the Mumbai crime branch on Monday, for questioning in connection with allegations that cricket bookies financed his film Gali Gali Chor Hai.
“We had issued summons to him earlier and he was to be questioned on Saturday. However, he requested an extension till Monday,” a source from the crime branch told HT on Sunday.
While probing an alleged international cricket bookmaking racket, exposed with the arrest of two bookies last week, the crime branch found that Prakash Chandanni, a Dubai-based bookie, allegedly financed a part of Manmohan’s film. Chandanni allegedly works under Sunil Dubai, a top bookie operating from Dubai.
The police are trying to verify if Manmohan was aware of the bookie’s investment in the film.
The film Gali Gali Chor Hai, with Akshaye Khanna and Mugdha Godse in the lead roles, highlighted the issue of corruption and social activist Anna Hazare had attended a special screening of the film.
On May 17, the property cell of the crime branch raided a flat in Lokhandwala, following a tip-off. They had arrested alleged bookies Sonu Jalan, Devendra Kothari and Feroz Ansari from the flat, along with four others.
More than Rs5.11 lakh in cash, two laptops, 22 mobile phones, 2 voice recorders, some documents and gadgets were found in the possession of the accused.
Jalan and Kothari were found accepting bets during an Indian Premier League (IPL) match and have been booked under the Gambling Act, Information Technology Act and sections of the Indian Penal Code.