The Calcutta police have busted a major cricket betting racket.
Bookie Omprakash Dhanuka and three of
his associates were also picked up from Howrah town, according to District
Superintendent of Police Surajit Kar Purakayastha.
Following a tip-off, Additional
Superintendent of Police, Howrah town, Rajesh Kumar, raided
Dhanuka's apartment in Shibpur area when the first one-day cricket
international between India and Pakistan was being played in Hyderabad.
Dhanuka and his accomplices were caught redhanded while they were busy accepting bets from punters all over the country.
The police seized four telephones, two cellular phones, one
computer, a tape recorder and audio cassettes. All
the accused were produced in court on Monday. The police have appealed
for ten days remand in police custody for
further investigation into the case. The police are also trying to
decode material available on the computer, Purakayastha
said.
According to the lists seized in the
raid, the DSP said people from Bombay, Bangalore and
other cities were involved in the betting.
Dhanuka and his associate, he alleged, played a key role in organising an
international betting syndicate for Sunday's game.
