Mumbai police are staying busy trying to keep illegal gambling out of the area. In the latest move, law enforcement officials busted an illegal gambling ring on Grant Road this past Saturday that 
was targeting cricket fans and a match between West Indies and New Zealand. That followed the arrest of nine individuals last week—four in Mumbai and five in Kolkata—that had organized illegal gambling for World Cup cricket matches.
According to reports, the latest crackdown resulted in the arrest of two bookies and the seizure of a TV, eight mobile phones and about $137 in cash. Also confiscated was a ledger that was used to record the bets, and the wagers contained therein amounted to over $2 million, representing bets placed on several different matches.
Shivdeep Lande, Deputy Commissioner of Police, told local media outlets, “After getting specific information regarding the cricket betting racket active for the ongoing cricket World Cup, our team raided the room number 203 of Hotel Balwas in Khetwadi Grant Road, Mumbai.”
The two bookies were identified as Ajay Kantraj and Vishwas Hishan Takalkar. Both are charged with violating Section 4(a) 5 of the Gambling Act, as well as Section 25 (c) of the Indian Telegraph Act.
Last week, five people were arrested in Kolkata for illegal gambling activities associated with the World Cup. Another four had the cuffs slapped on them in Thane, also for illegal World Cup gambling. The Kolkata incident resulted in the initial arrest of two individuals, who dropped the dime on three accomplices. They were identified as Sanjay Soni, Shibu Kumar Shaw, Binod Kamaria, Dipak Soni and Vijay Malik. All five are charged with criminal conspiracy, cheating and fraud and various sections of the Gambling and Prize Competition Act. Two laptops, a TV and over $1,200 was confiscated in conjunction with that police action.
In the other, Thane Crime Branch’s Central Crime Unit arrested Pradip Rohera, Dileep Mishra, Manish Chetwani and Jitu Manglani for organizing bets on the South Africa/New Zealand cricket match last Wednesday. For those that bet on New Zealand to win, it’s unfortunate you won’t be able to collect your winnings.
