Crackdown on gambling dens a relief for residents

My husband goes out to drink and play cards every evening and returns the following morning. He lost everything in gambling. I lost my jewellery, but my husband refused to give up his habits." The woman, who had almost lost hope of seeing her husband reformed, was in for a surprise on Monday, when he did not go out in the evening.

Since Tuesday, he has been coming home on time and spending time with their children after the police shut down the gambling dens following the direction of police commissioner Rashmi Shukla. She had sent a special team from the Pune crime branch to crack down on the gambling dens at New Modikhana in the Pune cantonment area. TOI had taken up the issue with the commissioner of police as a huge number of complaints from Citizen Reporters about gambling dens poured in.

Activist Raja Chavan said, "The gambling operators stay in the area and the residents were afraid of approaching the police. On many occasions, the residents' names were leaked after they had approached the police. They were also threatened by the people operating the dens. Many of the operators were donating money to mandals and financing candidates in the cantonment polls." He added, "Women and children were most affected and they were scared to venture out of their homes. They heaved a sigh of relief after Monday's action by the police."

Resident Shashidhar Puram said, "In the past, the police used to patrol the lanes and bylanes in the area. But all this stopped and the result was a rise in illegal activities. People visiting the gambling dens are mostly drunk and create a ruckus in the area. The residents are scared to take the gambling operators head. Similar is the situation in the Solapur Bazaar area. The Pulgate police chowkey on M G Road is located near New Modikhana, but they don't take action against them." Pune Cantonment Board vicepresident Atul Gaikwad said, "The police have shut down all illegal businesses here. I never received any complaint from the people that they were suffering because of the nuisance created by the gamblers. I have issued instructions to the police to ensure that all such illegal activities should be stopped." A police official requesting anonymity said, "A constable should be deployed at a picket or a fixed point to ensure that the gambling dens do not re-open.

The constable and the police station in-charge should be held responsible if the dens are found open. The government had once in the past suspended a senior inspector and dismissed a constable for promoting such illegal activities. CCTV cameras should be installed to monitor movements of people visiting such places. The police commissioner has powers to seal such dens.

The police can also write to the civic body and the MSEDCL to disconnect water and power supply to the dens." The official said, "A decoy should be sent to verify whether the dens are operating. The operators can be prosecuted under the Gambling Act. If they are involved in more than one crime, then they can be prosecuted under the Habitual Offenders Act. They can be also detained under the Maharashtra Prevention of Dangerous Activities Act. If the police are not taking action, then the illegal activities should be posted on the social media." Deputy commissioner of police (Zone II) Pravin Mundhe said, "People can approach me directly if they have any complaint related to the gambling dens. I assure the citizens that the identity of the person sharing information with the police will be protected and all illegal activities will be shut down."