Cricket betting racket busted in Delhi, three arrested

Delhi Police’s Crime Branch has cracked down on a well-organized illegal cricket betting racket operating in the Karampura area, arresting three individuals and seizing over Rs 22 lakh in cash, an official confirmed on Saturday.

The accused have been identified as Manish Sahani (42), Yogesh Kukreja (31), and Suraj (24), police said.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) Aditya Gautam, a raid was conducted after receiving a tip-off about betting activities on the South Africa-New Zealand Champions Trophy semi-final match held in Lahore, Pakistan, on March 5.

During the operation, authorities confiscated a substantial amount of betting-related equipment and records, including Rs 22.62 lakh spread across multiple accounts. Additionally, police recovered a laptop, nine mobile phones, an LED TV, a sound box used for voice recordings, notepads, and betting slips.

Further investigation revealed that the betting syndicate was allegedly run by Manish Sahani, who operated independently without intermediaries. “Manish acted as the key organizer, recording conversations with bettors and handling financial transactions through both bank accounts and cash,” said DCP Gautam.

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Sahani, a 12th pass, reportedly turned to illegal betting after incurring financial losses in his earlier business of trading old cars. Kukreja, a commerce graduate, was responsible for managing accounts, while Suraj handled calls from bettors and maintained transaction records, police added.

The case is under further investigation.

(With inputs from PTI)