Bangalore police busts cricket betting ring

The Bangalore City police busted a WorldCup cricket betting ring by arresting eleven personsand seizing Rs 6.26 lakh from them.

Following a tip-off, a team of policemen raidedseveral suspected betting dens in Kempegowdanagar,Hanumanthnagar and Chamarajpet in Bangalore late onSaturday night, according to police sources.

The arrested persons included kingpins of the bettingdens Lakshmana, Vasudeva and Ajit. Based on theinformation provided them, the police arrested eightothers, who were punters placing bets on the outcomeof the cricket matches.

Deputy Commissioner of Police, Bangalore South, AlokKumar, who led the raids, told reporters that a huntwas on for three more persons involved in the racket.

Notwithstanding India’s humiliating rout againstBangladesh and Sri Lanka, cricket betting wascontinuing in full swing in Bangalore. “What we havebusted is only the tip of the ice-berg. It is not even0.1 per cent of the total volume of betting takingplace in Bangalore”, Alok Kumar said.Police said several betting racketeers had shiftedbase to outskirts of the City fearing a crackdown onthem.

Meanwhile, police has beefed up security in front ofthe houses of Indian skipper Rahul Dravid, openerRobin Uthappa and leg spinner Anil Kumble as aprecautionary measure following India’s crashingdefeat against Sri Lanka.

A platoon of reserve police force has been stationedoutside Dravid’s residence in Indiranagar inBangalore. Similiarly security measures were in placein front of Uthappa’s house in Sulthanpalya andKumble’s residence in Banashankari.

Though cricket fans burned posters of cricket playersand a replica of the World Cup in Bangalore, nountoward incident was reported from anywhere in theCity.