Mumbai: Seven bookies nabbed in Nagpada for betting on IPL match

Seven bookies were arrested on Saturday night for allegedly betting on a Twenty20 cricket match of the ongoing IPL tourney.

The accused have been identified as Hanif Suma (39), Deepak Patel (32), Sanjay Saluja (34), Vicky Kanojiya (27), Mehboob Vakavala (32), Indris Kapadia (30), and Ashish Parekh (35).

On Saturday evening, the Nagpada police station got information about a few people betting at the Bombay International Hotel on Maulana Road, Nagpada, on a Twenty20 IPL match.

According to a senior police official from the police station, "When we reached the hotel room, we saw that the people there were watching an IPL match (Chennai Super Kings vs Kings XI Punjab) and were betting on the phone. All the seven accused are originally from Gujarat and are bookies by profession. We are investigating into how long they have been doing this and if they are history-sheeters. All the seven accused are not cooperating in the investigation, saying they will not speak, but their advocates will do that for them."

The police have recovered 72 mobile phones, Rs 31,750, two LCD TVs, two set-top boxes, two laptops, 20 chargers, two extension boards and a voice recorder. They also recovered an SUV worth Rs 12 lakh and a Toyota car worth Rs 10 lakh.

A case has been registered under Sections 465 (forgery), 467 (forgery of valuable security, will, etc.), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 471 (using as genuine a forged document or electronic record), 420 (cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code, along with various sections of the Prevention of Gambling Act.

Bookie arrested in Chhattisgarh for betting on IPL match
A bookie was arrested on Saturday in Chhattisgarh for allegedly accepting bets on the IPL match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals on the same day. Rs 10,000 was also recovered from him.