Samosawala-turned-bookie owns plush properties in city, Goa

Nagpur: Panjak Wadhwani, alias Pankaj Samosawala, alias Pankaj Kadi, among the seven arrested in a dramatic raid on Monday, allegedly turned into a millionaire cricket bookie today from being a samosa vendor on handcart known for his mouth-watering ‘kadi’ in Jaripatka market.
Apart from a recent foreign trip, Wadhwani and his kin are learnt to be owning several properties in city, especially at Jaripatka, and also in Goa from where his team of bookies are allegedly operating during the ongoing IPL matches. Sources stated Wadhwani had leased and also owns lavish villas in Goa where bookies stay in rotation. Several cops from Jaripatka police station are known to be close to Wadhwani from his samosa selling days.
City police chief Amitesh Kumar had conducted raids on city’s top bookies and hawala operators through squads of crime branch, Lakadganj and Tehsil police stations in which Wadhwani was nabbed along with Sanjay Agrawal, alias Chhotu, Prashant Shah, Abhishek Lunavat, Shankarlal Kakkad, Shailesh Lakhotiya and Jeetender Kamwani from different places.
Kumar said no illegal activities of cricket betting, sand or animal transportation, flesh trade, gambling and liquor would be tolerated. “We have arrested the seven bookies for their complicity in an earlier case registered at Lakadganj police station. The bookies and hawala operators have been asked to stop their activities immediately or else be ready to face severe legal action,” said the CP. The top cop said more bookies are under scanner including two top names.
Kumar, who had supervised the raids along with Addl CPs Navinchandra Reddy, Sunil Phulari and zonal DCP Lohit Matani, also said Wadhwani has been strictly warned for the last time to discontinue illegal activities.
Lakadganj police had earlier arrested one bookie Piyush Aggrawal but its investigation was disapproved by CP who wanted to go deeper into the cricket betting and hawala racket. Later, another bookie Saurabh Khandewal was arrested following Kumar’s instruction. “Mobile phones were seized and would be sent for forensic examination. The betting rackets now operate through apps and cryptocurrencies,” said Zonal DCP Matani.
In the past, bookie Agrawal was under the scanner of Enforcement Directorate (ED) too. In 2008, hawala operator Lakhotiya’s two brothers were shot dead by goons. Police also named Kakkad, Lunavat and Shah as the other key hawala operators from city.
Apart from Shah, it is learnt police have several other bookies like Siraj, Feroze, Anwar too under their scanner. In Jaripatka, Shailu Pan Mandir, Jaani Anda, Satish, Kewalramani, Akash Battery, Rani Pan and Rohan too have their flourishing business and are close to Wadhwani.