Two held from Delhi for racing horses on Noida expressway

In the video that went viral on social media on July 9, two stallions ridden by the men were seen racing against each other on the main carriageway of the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway.

The Noida police arrested two persons on Wednesday for allegedly betting on horse races on the expressway. The police said they identified the duo through the video footage that went viral on social media.

In the video that went viral on social media on July 9, two stallions ridden by the men were seen racing against each other on the main carriageway of the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway.

Sadiq (19) and Salman (20) were arrested from Jamia Nagar in New Delhi on Wednesday afternoon by a team of the Expressway police. They have been charged under the Gambling Act, Prevention of Cruelty Towards Animals Act and Section 289 of the Indian Penal Code for causing a disturbance.

In the video that went viral on social media on July 9, two stallions ridden by the men were seen racing against each other on the main carriageway of the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway.

According to station house officer, Vedpal Singh Pundir, a total of five men have been identified as a part of the horse racing gambling from the video.

“In the video, Sadiq is seen riding the brown-white horse while Salman was seen on a bike bucking up the jockeys. We are questioning them for leads on the remaining three,” said Pundir.

“These men are from the economically weaker section and have been making an earning through horse riding on the Yamuna plains near Delhi and Noida. The horses belong to them and they usually place cheap bets,” said Pundir.

According to the police, on July 11, a reward of ₹5,000 was to be given to the winner of the race, between the riders of the brown and brown-white stallions.

“The men had planned to party after the horse race but the brown stallion could race for only 100 metres, after which it stopped. So naturally, the brown-white horse was adjudged the winner,” said Pundir. The police said they will soon nab the three others.