Online cricket betting racket busted at Narendra Modi Stadium, five arrested
Updated: Feb 13th, 2025
Chandkheda police busted an illegal betting racket and arrested five persons. Cash and mobile phones worth ₹1,80,750 were recovered from them. The arrests were made under Section 12(a) of the Gambling Act, following multiple cases registered at the Chandkheda police station.
In the first crackdown on online betting, three persons were arrested for betting during the third India-England One-Day International (ODI) match at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The arrests were made in three separate incidents on February 12, following tip-off from intelligence officials during the match.
The first arrest was made around 1.45 pm when police officers on duty spotted suspicious activities in M Block, Upper Bay-3, Seat No 84. The accused, identified as Rajendra Bahiru Sonwane, 26, a resident of Babajinagar, Old Saikheda Jail Road, Nashik, was found betting on the live cricket match through the online platform GOEXCH9.COM using his mobile phone.
Upon inspection, his Realme X-7 Android mobile phone with a Jio SIM card was seized along with a match ticket, a sum of Rs. 5,000, and screenshots of betting transactions. The police further discovered that Sonwane had logged into his betting account, Investigators are probing the origins of his betting ID and mobile number used in it.
Later in the evening, around 6 pm, another individual, Sanjeev Chandvir Singh Chauhan, 32, from Bhiwani, Haryana, was apprehended in Upper-Level Block-J, Seat DD-64. He was found actively engaged in placing bets via the PunjabEXX website using his phone.
During the raid, police confiscated his mobile phone, along with a match ticket and other incriminating evidence. Chauhan confessed to acquiring the betting ID through social media platforms. The police are investigating whether he was operating independently or as part of a larger network.
Another arrest took place at 4.45 pm when Aditya Dharasindh Dagor, 30, was caught betting through the MPL application on his Motorola Edge 50 Pro smartphone while seated in Block N, Upper Bay-1, Seat No. 8. His online betting wallet showed an active balance of Rs 29,761.37, and several transactions related to cricket betting were recorded. The police seized his phone, sim cards, a match ticket, and screenshots of the betting activities, amounting to a total estimated value of Rs 10,000.
Others arrested include: Nipun Pawan Kumar Anand (38) of of Gurgaon, Haryana. His mobile mobile phone worth ₹50,000, ₹3,000 cash was seized.
Kunal Manojbhai Bhatt(33), from Ahmedabad was caught with a mobile phone worth ₹70,000 and ₹2,750 in cash.
Police officials confirmed that all five individuals have been taken into custody, and further investigations are underway. Authorities have intensified their crackdown on illegal gambling networks in the city, urging residents to report any suspicious activities.
The Chandkheda police have assured that strict action will be taken against those involved in such unlawful activities. The arrested individuals are likely to face legal proceedings under the Gambling Act.
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