The city police’s crime branch continues its relentless crackdown on illegal cricket betting operations. In a recent raid, led by Senior Inspector Suhas Choudhury, two bookies were arrested on Friday for accepting bets on the ongoing International League T20 (ILT20) 2025, organized by the Emirates Cricket Board in the UAE.
Earlier, during the India-England ODI in Nagpur on Thursday, the crime branch arrested three bookies, including one from Chhattisgarh and another from Uttar Pradesh, at Beltarodi. The bookies were operating for a man named Dhanraj and were found using the ‘Shubh Labh’ application for betting.
In the latest operation, the arrested bookies, Rajendra Ramaji Bhanuse (49) and Rajkumar Pitambar Gahane (43), residents of Gumgaon, were caught operating their betting racket from their residence on the outskirts of Hingna. The duo had been working closely with KL Pardhi, a mastermind from Mankapur, forwarding bets and adjusting amounts based on the outcomes of the wagers.
Choudhury revealed that the bookies were using the ‘Cricket Live Line’ app to place bets on the ILT20 match between Desert Vipers and Sharjah. DCP (Crime) Rahul Maknikar, who is overseeing the investigation, assured that the police are acting on reliable inputs and have identified key bookies in the city. More raids are planned ahead of the upcoming cricket season, as part of the city’s zero-tolerance policy on illegal betting under the leadership of CP Ravinder Singal.
The police seized four mobile phones, a car, and a bike, valued at approximately ₹2.88 lakh, from the two accused. Bhanuse and Gahane were booked under Section 12(A) of the Maharashtra Gambling Act and handed over to Hingna police for further investigation.
