8 cricket bookies arrested in Delhi

NEW DELHI - With the arrest of eight bookies, the Delhi Police Sunday claimed to have busted three cricket betting syndicates operating here during Saturday’s World Cup match between India and Bangladesh.

The bookies were dealing in bets to the tune of around Rs.3 crore for the match, according to police.

“While the World Cup cricket match between India and Bangladesh was on, we came to know that betting was taking place in a hotel at Karol Bagh, in a flat at Rohini and in a house at Pitampura. We raided the places and apprehended eight bookies,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police Ashok Chand.

From two rooms of a hotel at Karol Bagh in central Delhi, four bookies - Gaurav Sharma (32), Shanku Arora (29), Goldy Verma (28) and Pankaj Saluja (33) - were held. “They had received bets to the tune of Rs.1.15 crore,” Chand said.

In Rohini, two people - Devener Rana (32) and Tarun Bhatia (24) - were arrested. They had received bets to the tune of Rs.53 lakh.

“Another two people - Anil Kumar Gupta (43) and Navin Kumar Gupta (41) were also arrested. They had received bets for Rs.1.10 crore,” said Chand.

During interrogation they told police that betting rates originated from oversees. The bets are taken on the basis of that.

“After the match, the profit and loses are calculated by a specifically generated software known as ‘Back ‘N’ Lay PRO’,” Chand explained.

They told police that the rates keep fluctuating with the fall of wickets and the runs scored.

“They use laptops for data entry and management, mobile phones for getting rates, taking bets and keeping records of the bets,” added Chand.

Devender Rana is a property dealer and became a bookie two years ago while Tarun Bhatia worked in a cyber caf before joining Rana a year ago, according to the official.

Anil Kumar Gupta, who helps his father run an Ayurvedic clinic, is a bookie for last seven years and Navin Kumar Gupta is a pharmacist and joined Anil about six years ago, he said.

Gaurav Sharma runs a Dhaba in the name of “Sharma Restaurant” and around five months ago he started his own betting syndicate along with his associate Goldy Verma, Shanku Arora, and Pankaj Saluja, all property dealers, the official added.

“We are still investigating into the matter and looking for more bookies operating in the city,” the commissioner said.