28 February,2011 06:46 AM IST | | A Correspondent
Acting on home minister's R Ashoka's directive, a team of officials from organised Crime Wing of Central Crime Branch cracked the whip on a betting syndicate yesterday and arrested two bookies that were operating from south Bangalore.
Book them: Minister R Ashoka has hinted about a local police nexus
in the betting syndicate
In a letter to JCP Alok Kumar, Ashoka hinted about a local police nexus in the betting syndicate and asked him to form a special team to track the network.
Following the directive, cops arrested Dinesh Kumar alias Babulal (36), and his associate Vadivelu (34), from their residence and recovered Rs 2 lakh in cash, which they had collected from their punters. The police also seized eight mobile phones, a television and documents that have the names of people involved in betting.
During questioning, Dinesh Kumar disclosed the names of other bookies who had evaded the police dragnet as Narahari, Benaka, Soni, Mukesh, Harish, Bachan, Lokesha, Seebu, Tiger and Akkipet Babu.
He was also in touch with the bookies from Mumbai and Delhi and used to conduct transactions with them.
Investigations have revealed that the accused were into cricket betting for several years.
"With the help of those arrested so far, we are trying to expose the betting mafia and trying to ascertain the possible involvement of the underworld," Kumar said.
