The Navi Mumbai crime branch, in coordination with the Panvel taluka police, arrested 13 individuals involved in online betting on the IPL-T20 cricket match between the Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Titans. The arrests followed a raid at a farmhouse in Panvel on Friday night.
Raid Details
PI (crime) Anand Kamble of Panvel taluka stated that the raid was conducted at Gavdevi farmhouse in Wakdi, Panvel taluka, after 10 pm on Friday. Thirteen men were found at the premises engaged in betting and accepting bets from customers. They provided customers with a link to download the 'Lotus365' app for online betting and offered returns on winning bets.
Accused Profile
The accused had rented the farmhouse since the IPL matches began on March 28. Among those arrested, one is from Ratnagiri, four from Delhi, three each from Rajasthan and Assam, and two from Uttar Pradesh.
Seized Items
Authorities seized their mobile phones, credit cards, 16 SIM cards, one tablet, a passbook, and a cheque book. All betting transactions were processed online, so the names of bettors who transferred money online to their bank accounts will be obtained. These bettors will also be arrested for gambling offenses.
Legal Action
The arrested accused were booked under relevant sections of the Maharashtra Prevention of Gambling Act and the Information Technology Act. On Saturday, the 13 accused were produced before the Panvel court, which remanded them to police custody until June 2.
