India/Windies Betting Racket Unearthed

Thu, Oct 31, '02

Police in Delhi, India has unearthed a cricket betting racket with national and international ramifications on the first day of the India-West Indies test match and arrested nine persons from Delhi and Gurgaon.

"The premises, where the accused were nabbed was full of sophisticated electronic equipments like lap-top, desktop computer, television, landline and cell phones, recorders apart from hand written registers, copies and documents confirming a betting racket having national and international ramifications", Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Deependra Pathak told reporters.

Acting on a tip-off that 'satta' on the ongoing cricket has started through an electronic network, a decoy 'punter' (client) was sent to Paschim Vihar from where one Narender was apprehended.

"During interrogation Narender revealed that he works for the kingpin Chiranjiv Singh Dang alias Dimple, who operate from a sophisticated control room at Sushant Lok, Gurgaon.

Immediately, a raiding team raided and arrested Dimple along with his seven associates. The devices have also been seized," Pathak said.

The interrogation of the accused revealed that their control room in Gurgaon, operates through atleast 18 hub centres of Haryana, UP, Delhi, Maharashtra, Gujarat and around, Pathak said adding that "Dimple revealed that his control room is connceted with a master centre at Jaipur which is further connected with Dubai and other places."

Pathank said the main accused Dimple has been one of the most wanted bookies and the racket must be worth crores of rupees.

* Culled from newswire sources.