Mumbai, April 17 (IANS) In an unusual swoop, the Mumbai Police on Monday arrested five bookies from the Garware Pavilion inside the Wankhede Stadium where the ongoing IPL’s nail-biting Mumbai Indians versus Kolkata Knight Riders match was played on Sunday.
Following a reliable tip-off, the Chembur Crime Branch Unit VI sleuths lay in wait in and around the stadium and managed to zero in and trap the 5 bookies operating there around 5 p.m. on Sunday.
The bookies confessed to using a mobile betting app and disclosed that they were keeping tabs on each ball being thrown during the match along with other associates elsewhere to make huge profits on placing bets.
The arrested accused are: Ajay Harikishen Baweja, 40, Vivek Maheshchandra Tiwari, 41, Manoj Bhairulalji Naraniwal, 37, Sumitkumar Lalit Dhadda, 44, and Zakiullah Aman Ziaullah Khan, 39.
The police have recovered cash amounting Rs 10,400, five tickets to the stadium matches, one passport, 3 SIM cards, 2 debit cards, a Lucknow-Mumbai flight ticket and nine mobiles, totally valued at Rs 220,000.
Further probe is underway to trace their associates, whether they are from or outside Mumbai, since when the racket was being perpetrated in the current IPL season, and related aspects.
–IANS
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