Cops say actor confessed about how betting took a toll on his marriage; revealed names of others involved in betting
Arbaaz Khan outside Thane Anti Extortion Cell on Saturday. Pic/Sameer Markande
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Bollywood actor-producer Arbaaz Khan, whose name cropped up in an IPL betting case, has confessed to his involvement while being questioned by the Thane police on Saturday. He also said that he lost around '3 crore during betting, and that his habit of betting was among the prime reasons leading to his divorce.
The Anti Extortion Cell (AEC) of Thane police had busted the IPL betting racket on May 15, in which they had arrested four people from Mumbai. Among them was Sonu Jalan, touted as one of the biggest bookies in the country. Jalan's interrogation revealed Khan's name. On Saturday at 11 am, Khan appeared at the AEC for questioning.
The machine used by Sonu Jalan to connect bookies during IPL matches;
He was interrogated by DCP (Crime) Abhishek Trimukhe. Khan was made to sit across Jalan and questioned. According to sources, Khan confessed to betting in IPL matches and losing '80 lakh during IPL 2017 and '2.7 crore during IPL 2018. "He spoke of how his betting habit led to the feud with wife Malaika," said a police source. He further added, "Arbaaz said that initially, he was betting with Sonu. Later, when he stopped, after Malaika objected, it was Sonu who started blackmailing him, saying he would make his call records public if he stopped betting."
Sources also said that during a raid at Jalan's home, the cops recovered a unique machine through which Jalan would communicate with 50 bookies at one time, after every over. The police also found Jalan's diary containing names and numbers of celebrities, politicians and policemen, written in code. Khan too revealed names of celebrities and politicians involved in the betting scam. Trimukhe said, "We have made six arrests. Arbaaz's was called as his name came up during investigation. We have recorded his statement and will call him back if needed. More names have cropped up and we will soon decide on the course of action to be taken against them."
Also read: Did Arbaaz Khan Lose Around Rs 2.83 Crore In T20 Betting Last Year?
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