Ludhiana: Police can attach bookies’ properties

Tribune News Service

Nikhil Bhardwaj

Ludhiana, March 28

With the start of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, cricket bookies operating from the industrial hub have started making huge money while naive victims wanting to become rich by placing bets have been losing their hard-earned money. Though cricket betting is not new to the city, no major network has been busted by the police so far. Several cricket bookies operating from the city for years have made a fortune and also gathered benami properties. The properties have usually been registered in the names of their relatives or closed ones to befool law-enforcing agencies.

Commissioner of Police (CP) Kuldeep Singh Chahal while talking to The Tribune here on Thursday said recently, the CIA wing of the Police Commissionerate, Ludhiana, arrested Rahul Goyal of SBS Nagar for accepting bets on matches of the ongoing IPL while two persons managed to escape. A laptop, five mobile phones and ?5,000 in cash were also seized from the suspect.

“I have given clear instructions to police personnel to take strict action if they get any information about bookies operating from Ludhiana. Since the IPL season is going on, police officials have been told to activate their sources to get information about the network of bookies and bust the same. The illegal trade has no place in the industrial hub. I also urge the people to avoid placing bets as they may also face legal trouble,” he said.

When asked if the police can attach properties of cricket bookies if the same are found to be made from proceeds of illegal trade of cricket betting, Chahal categorically said: “When the police arrest any cricket bookie and during investigation if they find that the suspect has gathered properties, including benami, with the proceeds of betting, the police can start the procedure of attachment of the properties.”

Meanwhile, ADCP (Crime) Amandeep Singh Brar said strict instructions were already given to crime wings to ensure that no illegal activity, including cricket betting, takes place in the city. About attachment of properties, the ADCP said the police could initiate proceedings to attach properties of bookies by writing to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) if the same were found to be gathered from the proceeds of the crime.

Earlier, the names of five persons from Punjab, including from Ludhiana and Jalandhar, had figured in the FIR lodged in the sensational Mahadev betting app case.

Bookies take bets from trusted persons only

A youth who does betting on IPL matches told The Tribune that bookies run a secure system to prevent them from falling prey to the police or central agencies. They indulge in betting from undisclosed location during the cricket season.”The punters will be paid a day after the match and the mode of payment is through cash only which, interestingly, is delivered at home. Bookies usually keep their accounts in books or a secured device such as laptop,” he said.

He said bookies did not accept bets from unknown people, only a person through trusted contact could place bets. If someone refuses to pay the money after losing bets, the bookie will recover the same from the contact. “One should avoid betting on cricket as big fishes always wins and small ones like us always face losses,” he added.

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