Team Goemkarponn
MAPUSA: The Goa Crime Branch has arrested four persons for allegedly operating an illegal online cricket betting racket during a live Tri Nation A Series match between India-A and Sri Lanka-A being played in Sri Lanka.
According to the Crime Branch, reliable information was received on June 21 regarding illegal online betting activities being conducted from a villa at Ekta Nagar, Mapusa. Acting on the tip-off, a Crime Branch team gathered intelligence and conducted a raid at the location.
During the operation, officers allegedly caught four individuals red-handed while engaging in online betting on the live cricket match. The team seized two laptops, eight mobile phones, one router and other electronic devices collectively valued at approximately ₹2 lakh.
The arrested accused have been identified as Umashankar Joshi (42) from Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh; Rahul Khot (25) from Sirsa, Haryana; Anvesh Soni (30) from Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh; and Faijan Shaikh (22) from Itava, Dewas, Madhya Pradesh.
Superintendent of Police Jivba Dalvi informed that the Crime Branch has registered an offence under Sections 3 and 4 of the Goa, Daman and Diu Public Gambling Act, 1976, along with Section 66C of the Information Technology Act, 2000 and 2008. All four accused have been placed under arrest.
The raid was supervised by SP Jivba Dalvi and carried out by a team comprising PI Vikas Deykar, ASI Shriram Salgaonkar, and police personnel Sandesh Valvaikar, Kritesh Kinalkar, Kalpesh Toraskar, Nitin Gawas, Krishna Madkar and Shashikant Badhi.
The operation was conducted under the overall supervision of Rahul Gupta, IPS, Superintendent of Police, Crime Branch.
