Police to rearrest seven persons involved in betting racket

JAIPUR: Facing criticism over lackadaisical approach towards betting in the city during IPL matches, the Jaipur police on Friday said that at least seven persons who are booked under appropriate sections of Rajasthan Gambling (Ordinance) are likely to be re-arrested. In order to demoralize those involved in betting, the police had already registered cases against them at Vaishali Nagar and Ashok Nagar police station areas for allegedly procuring SIM cards by fraudulent means which were used in taking bets over the matches.
Acting on a tip off by the ATS, Jaipur police had busted a betting racket and had arrested 10 persons on the charges. Since betting is a bailable offence under Rajasthan Gambling (Ordinance) all these persons were bailed out and people in sheer ignorance also held Jaipur police responsible for it. Then commissioner of police, Sanjay Agarwal citing negligence had sent three SHOs (Ashok Nagar, Mansarovar and Vaishali Nagar) to lines. Now police is aiming at re-arresting all these persons for allegedly obtaining SIM cards through fake documents.

“Whatever SIM cards were seized from their possession were scrutinised and it was found that they had got these by presenting fake papers which becomes an offence of 420 (Cheating), 467 (Forgery of document) and section 468 (Forgery for purpose of cheating) of IPC. We have also added 66-D of IPC. We had registered cases in Ashok Nagar and Vaishali Nagar. All these would be arrested soon,” said Prafful Kumar, additional commissioner of police (Crime) on Friday.

However, senior police officers said that betting is a bailable offence as per law. The only thing police can do is to find out if persons arrested for betting can be booked for some non-bailable sections. On the reports saying Jaipur police is now facilitating the persons arrested in betting by erasing the data available in their phones, a senior officer said, “All these phones were seized. Based on the scrutiny and examination of phones we realized that persons involved in betting racket can be brought in the purview of non-bailable sections of IPC. People with sheer ignorance on law must be making such remarks.”

Police is conducting raids to arrest these persons who are not at their homes and other places.