Over Rs 1 crore cash seized in betting racket probe in MP

The Madhya Pradesh police have seized Rs 1.31 crore cash in the ongoing investigation into mobile application-based betting racket, in which nine persons have been nabbed so far, an official said on Thursday.

The gang allegedly opened fake banks accounts using documents of poor people and labourers and made transactions to the tune of Rs 53 crore in them for their betting racket in the last six months, said inspector Abhay Nema of Mhow police station.

The online racket, which was being run for the last two years, came to light in July in Mhow near here, and since then, nine people, including prime accused Raja Verma, have been arrested, the official said.

The police have recovered cash to the tune of Rs 1.31 crore during the probe, he said.

Verma would trap poor people and labourers with the promise of providing them loans and get their Aadhar cards, and using these documents, he would open bank accounts for betting transactions, the official said.

Transactions to the tune of Rs 53.23 crore had taken place in 13 such accounts in the last six months and deposits of around Rs 1.5 crore have been frozen, he added.

The accused has gotten the software of the app designed from an engineer in Indore, he said.

At least 15,000 punters from different parts of the country used to place their bets on the application every day, he said.

According to the police, a detailed investigation into the racket was underway and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was being kept in a loop. 

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