A special operation cell team in Chandigarh arrested five individuals for running an illegal IPL betting racket from a rented accommodation in Sector 33. The accused have been identified as Hardeep Singh alias Jolly, Deepak alias Deepu Pepsi, Vishu, Santosh, and Bhuvan.
During the raid, police seized 43 mobile phones, six laptops, two tablets, an LED screen, and two Wi-Fi routers from the premises. A case under multiple sections of the Punjab Gambling Act has been registered at Sector 34 police station.
Authorities revealed that the accused had created a widespread betting network by deploying bookies in various areas. They gained early access to the live telecast of IPL matches and offered betting options throughout the games. Customers placed bets on outcomes such as match winners, top batsman and bowler, total runs, first wicket method, runs in specific overs, individual player performances, and even ball-by-ball predictions.
Payments were made offline, mostly in cash, through bookies. Investigations further disclosed that some gang members operated from Dubai, where betting is legal. The police are continuing to probe financial transactions and connections related to the racket.
