ED raids Mumbai residences of two bookies
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday searched the residences of two suspected bookies – one at Borivli and the other at Ulhasnagar – in connection with alleged bets placed during the recent Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The Central agency conducted similar raids in Delhi and Jaipur.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Friday searched the residences of two suspected bookies – one at Borivli and the other at Ulhasnagar – in connection with alleged bets placed during the recent Indian Premier League (IPL) season. The Central agency conducted similar raids in Delhi and Jaipur.
ED sources said flash raids were conducted at the residences of a person identified as Sodhi in Borivli and another person, identified as Anil Jaisinghani, from Ulhasnagar. “Both were under the scanner in connection with the arrests made by the Ahmedabad ED that busted a racket (in March) involving bets being placed through the Internet,” said a senior ED officer requesting anonymity.
The ED office in Ahmedabad had, on March 19, busted a betting racket in the World Cup and arrested some bookies from a farmhouse on the outskirts of Vadodara in Gujarat. Later, the agency arrested 13 others in connection with the alleged betting racket. “The raids on Friday are in continuation of the probe in the World Cup racket. It’s the same group,” said the officer.
Jaisinghani has been arrested for betting in the past under the Gambling and Telegraph Act. A team of ED officers reached Jaisinghani’s residence on Friday where they were met with “much resistance”, sources said. “The team entered his residence to find him wearing an oxygen mask. He was later admitted to a hospital,” said the officer, adding that further action will be initiated based on Jaisinghani’s health. ED is also probing Sodhi's whereabouts.
Jaisinghani has police protection because of an alleged threat.
The police said Sodhi was not at his residence at the time of the raid. “We have seized incriminating documents from the Borivali and Ulhasnagar residences of these bookies,” the officer said.
Bets placed via the UK
* Sodi (first name not known) and Anil Jaisinghani were under the scanner in connection with bets placed through the UK-based website betfair.com, an officer from the ED said
* The ED suspects that huge bets have been placed through the bookies based in that country
* The bookies here receive a commission of between 2% to 5%, an officer said, citing the modus-operandi of the racket.