Balangir: In a major breakthrough, cyber police have arrested Laksheswar Mallik, the alleged mastermind behind an extensive illegal online betting racket that raked in up to ₹12 lakh per month.
A resident of Paikasamara village under the Saintala police station, Mallik had been living a lavish lifestyle, funded entirely through clandestine gambling operations.
Despite holding a degree, Mallik had no stable employment and was ostensibly operating a State Bank customer service point.
However, investigations revealed that his real business lay in running over 50 illegal betting platforms, including popular games such as Rummy and Teen Patti, targeting unsuspecting users with promises of easy money.
Over a period of two years, Mallik reportedly accumulated enormous wealth, purchasing multiple properties, acquiring land, and driving around in luxury vehicles.
Acting on a tip-off, cyber police arrested him and were shocked by the scale of assets he had built.
Police seized ₹7 lakh in cash, 14 high-end smartphones including several iPhones, along with laptops, POS machines, and vehicles such as a Mahindra Thar. In addition, bank accounts holding around ₹25 lakh were frozen.
Balangir SP has stated that Mallik was facilitating online gambling through these apps by luring people into playing games with the promise of high returns.
He said that everyone who got involved ended up losing their money. Further investigation is underway to find out whether it was a one-man operation or part of a wider syndicate, he added.
