Kolkata: The police officers of Jalpaiguri district police, on Saturday, busted a major Indian Premier League (IPL) betting racket at Jalpaiguri in West Bengal and have arrested two persons in this connection, police said.
The development took place just hours before the crucial IPL match between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Punjab Kings at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens on Saturday evening.
The two persons arrested in this connection have been identified as Milan Sen (28) and Mrinmoy Sen (21).
They were operating from a cyber cafe located in the Senpara area of Jalpaiguri town.
Two smartphones, a personal computer, and a motorcycle have been seized from their possession.
Milan is also employed as a data entry operator at Jalpaiguri Medical College and Hospital.
Confirming the arrests, the Jalpaiguri District Police Superintendent, Umesh Khandelwal, said that the policemen were informed by their sources that IPL betting through the use of mobile applications was conducted from the said cyber cafe.
Thereafter, the cops of the local police station conducted a sudden raid operation at the said cyber cafe and arrested the two accused persons red-handed, Khandelwal added.
Meanwhile, another district police official said that in face of questioning within the cybercafe the two accused admitted their involvement in the betting racket and also confirmed that there were other associates in the business in the other pockets of West Bengal.
Later, examination of the seized mobile phones and the personal computer also confirmed the statements given by the accused persons.
They have been under various sub-sections of Section 318 (punishment for cheating) of Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) and various sections of the Public Gambling Act, 1867.
Both will be presented at a lower court in the district later in the day.
The use of cyber cafes in IPL betting has become the latest trend in West Bengal.
In the first week of this month, the Kolkata Police officials busted a similar racket operating from a cyber cafe in Kolkata, where mobile applications were also used for conducting the betting.
Earlier in the last week of March this year, a similar racket was busted at Farakka in Murshidabad district.
(IANS)
