Hussainabad police have cracked down on an online betting network, Khelooyaar.com, arresting seven individuals and sending them to judicial custody under the BNS, West Bengal Gambling Act, and IT Act. Officials revealed that the network is linked to the Mahadev betting app.
Kingpin Rahul Singh Lodhi, originally from Chhattisgarh, manages the franchise of the gaming app. The others — Sujit, Ajit, Rohit, Juber, Aayaz, and Akshay — hail from Jharkhand and Bihar and are aged between 22 and 35 years, police confirmed.
Palamu SP Reeshma Ramesan said the operation began after information from Hazaribag SP Anjani Anjan about “mule account” operators in Hussainabad. These account holders are paid by online betting promoters in exchange for lending their bank accounts.
During the probe, officers found the suspects operating from a rented room owned by Anil Kumar Vishwakarma, who was unaware of their illegal activities and believed they worked in the digital sector.
Hussainabad SDPO S Mohammad Yakub explained the modus operandi: “Online betting kingpins allow withdrawals to entice players to continue depositing money. The server for this site is in Dubai but can be shifted to other countries if needed.”
SDPO Yakub added that this bust represents just the tip of the iceberg, showing how online betting has infiltrated even remote parts of Jharkhand. SP Ramesan warned that kingpins can manipulate results digitally to affect winnings.
Authorities urged the public to avoid online betting and to never share bank accounts, PAN cards, cheque books, or ATM details with anyone for financial gains.
During the raid, police seized 14 mobile phones, nine ATM cards, nine passbooks, nine cheque books, and a Wi-Fi router linked to the operation.
