In a significant crackdown on illegal gambling, the Crime Branch of Indore Police busted a multi-crore online betting syndicate operating from a flat in the Ushaganj area of Sanyogitaganj. Acting on a tip-off, police raided the flat on Monday night and arrested six individuals involved in online cricket and sports betting.
Arrested Accused:
Himanshu Khandelwal (19) – Indore
Ravindra Gautam (22) – Gonda, Uttar Pradesh
Vivek Kumar (30) – Bharatpur, Rajasthan
Amit Kumar Mandal (32) – Bihar
Krishna Kumar (24) and Kanhaiya Pandey (23) – Madhubani, Bihar
According to Additional DCP Rajesh Dandotiya, the group operated a betting call centre and handled wagers via mobile apps and websites using virtual IDs and fake bank accounts. The investigation revealed the use of over 50 fake bank accounts and SIM cards to handle transactions.
Police also discovered the betting operation was part of a 20-branch national network, linked to Dubai-based operators, making it an international online gambling racket.
Seized Items Include:
29 mobile phones
2 laptops
1 computer
7 chequebooks
4 passbooks
ATM cards
Cash
Detailed transaction records
The accused admitted to running ‘Varun Online Hub’, a fake online platform used during international cricket matches, where bets worth crores of rupees were placed. Customers were instructed to transfer funds to specific accounts, after which they were provided login credentials to the betting platform.
Authorities have registered a case under the Gambling Act, and further investigations are ongoing to dismantle other nodes in the network.
