Police in Thane, Maharashtra, took action on an IPL betting racket, resulting in the arrest of three individuals from Chhattisgarh during a raid at a hotel in Bhiwandi in Thane district. Deputy Commissioner of Police Shivraj Patil announced the operation at a press conference, revealing that it was a collaborative effort between the Special Task Force and the Anti-Extortion Cell of the Thane police’s crime branch.
As reported on Midday news on MSN, the operation targeted people suspected of organizing betting activities on ongoing IPL cricket matches. Acting on a tip-off, law enforcement conducted the raid at a hotel in Kongaon village, Bhiwandi. The three accused were arrested while engaging in betting transactions related to the match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Sunrisers Hyderabad. They used mobile applications to enable their operations.
According to official reports, the arrested individuals collected a total of Rs. 11,86,811 from betting activities. A fourth co-conspirator who is based in Chhattisgarh collected Rs. 7,03,000. The three individuals at Thane used fraudulent methods to acquire SIM cards for their operations. “The trio had obtained SIM cards by forging documents. During the raids, the police seized 12 mobiles, one tablet and a laptop each collectively valued at Rs 1.97 lakh from them,” said Shivraj Patil.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Shekar Bagde disclosed that efforts are being taken to capture the fourth suspect, believed to be operating from Korba in Chhattisgarh. The three arrested individuals are identified as Shannu Lalit Berival (31), Rajat Babula Sharma (30), and Vijay Sitaram Devgan (40).
An FIR has been registered at the Kongaon police station under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including cheating, forgery, and common intention against the accused.
