Police in Balod district have cracked down on gambling activities taking place amidst dense jungles. They have apprehended 17 individuals involved in gambling amidst the dense jungles of Balod district. The entire operation was conducted under the provisions of the Chhattisgarh Gambling Act 2022, section 3(2), targeting habitual gamblers. The seized items include a total cash amount of Rs.1,08,030, six motorcycles valued at Rs.1,80,000, and 10 android mobile phones valued at Rs.50,000 each, totaling Rs.3,38,030.

As reported by Amarujala, those arrested during the operation spanned a wide range of demographics, reflecting the pervasive nature of gambling in the region. From seasoned gamblers to individuals lured into the activity, the arrests cut across various age groups and backgrounds, emphasizing the need for comprehensive measures to address the issue.

Several individuals have been arrested, including Seetaram Sahu, 56, from Bothli, Balod district; Raju Ram Kuren, 53, from Nipani, Balod district; Mahendra Kumar Mahipal, 36, from Borgahan, Ranjiree, Balod district; Ajit Chandel, 45, from Palari, Saneend, Balod district; Rammurti Gwal, 56, from Lalbagicha, Dantewada district; Dinesh Sen, 30, from near Kanji House, Subhash Nagar, Dhamtari, Dhamtari district; Dhalendra Das, 26, from Nayapara Ward, Dhamtari, Dhamtari district; Mohammad Jubair, 32, from Lalbagicha, Dhamtari, Dhamtari district; Tamman Lal Markam, 42, from Parsatarai, Arjunee, Dhamtari district; Purushottam Vishwakarma, 34, from Loharsingh, Arjunee, Dhamtari district; Brijbhan Joshi, 35, from Kodeva, Arjunda, Balod district; Shravan Kumar Jangde, 54, from Kherud, Gundardehi, Balod district; Sumendra Kuren, 49, from Avaspara Nipani, Balod district; Nilesh Kumar Sahu, 34, from Bundani Chowki, Kewar, Gurur, Balod district; Lakhan Sahu, 55, from Kharsuli, Arjunee, Yamatari district; Akash Jagtap, 30, from Loharsingh, Arjunee, Dhamtari district; and Kesh Ram Sahu, 52, from Tituragahan, Sano, Balod district.

The operation was conducted based on information received from an informant regarding illegal gambling activities in the Gorasa Katta jungle. The police team, led by Thana Purur and Cybercell Balod in-charge Jogendra Sahu, along with the cyber team, raided the Gorasa Katta jungle in Gram Bhejamaidani, where they found a crowd of people engaged in gambling activities. Upon seeing the police, some individuals fled the scene, but 17 were apprehended.