New Delhi: The Anti Auto Theft Squad (AATS) of Delhi Police has busted an interstate gambling syndicate in the national Capital’s Shahdara district and arrested 21 people, officials said on Friday.
To keep a watch over organised gambling activities in the district, the AATS team, Shahdara, was specifically tasked with identifying and apprehending persons involved in illegal gambling operations.
An official statement said that under the leadership of Inspector Prateek Saxena, a team I/C AATS/Shahdara, was constituted under the close supervision of ACP/Operations, Shahdara, Mohinder Singh, and the overall supervision of the DCP, Shahdara District.
According to investigators, the team was deployed in civil clothes to develop local Intelligence regarding gambling activities. On July 1, a team member received credible information that a large-scale gambling session was being held at House West Nathu Colony, Delhi.
Acting promptly on the information, the police team conducted a well-planned raid at the premises. During the operation, 21 people, including 16 men and five women, were caught red-handed while indulging in illegal gambling on the second floor of the house.
During the search of the premises, police recovered around Rs. 77,900 in cash, 2,998 gaming coins or chips valued at approximately Rs. 15,00,000 and 22 decks of playing cards, notepads, pens and other gambling-related articles were also seized as case property.
A case FIR No. 203/2026 dated July 2 under Sections 3/4/6/9/55 of the Delhi Public Gambling Act was registered at Mansarovar Park Police Station, and all 21 accused people were arrested.
During sustained interrogation, accused Anil Chaudhary and Sagar Ahuja disclosed that they were managing and operating the gambling session. Both stated that they work as property dealers and organise such gambling events. They further revealed that every participant was required to purchase gaming chips priced at Rs 500 each, to participate in the session.
Police said that the accused has also disclosed that the property where the gambling was being conducted belongs to 70-year-old Laxman Dass, while Chaudhary, being the tenant and organiser, paid Rs. 30,000 per gambling session to the owner for use of the premises.
Dass has also been arrested.
Further investigation is in progress to ascertain the financial trail, previous gambling sessions conducted at the premises, involvement of other associates, and to identify additional persons connected with the interstate gambling network.
The majority of the 21 arrested accused are residents of Delhi and different parts of Uttar Pradesh while four of them, Sujeet Pulami Magar, Sarita Rana, Sonia Puri and Samjhana Singh Suwal, are natives of Nepal and currently residing in the capital and in Ghaziabad.
(IANS)
