Gambling racket unearthed

Mumbai: Raids conducted by the police recently at a Santa Cruz–based five-star hotel in Vakola revealed the role of two organisers, who allegedly conducted high-profile gambling activities in several prominent hotels in Mumbai. Such gambling events were accessible to only those carrying Rs 10 lakh in cash, said police. The alleged organisers, identified as Vishal Jain and Kalpesh Thakkar, were among 18 arrested persons who had assembled to play ‘Teen Patti’ in a lavish suite of the hotel.

The probe revealed that only a handful people would know of such event, mostly businessmen from Mumbai and Gujarat, who would book rooms in hotels to participate in the event. Each participant would book a room in the hotel and the organiser would book a lavish suite where all would assemble for gambling.

“The participating businessmen would carry cash with him and the game of ‘Teen Patti’ would begin in the night. All the persons would stay over in their respective hotel rooms and such events would take place during long holidays. We received a tip off of the activity and we also booked a room close to the suite to keep a watch on the activities, before raiding the room,” said a crime branch officer.

A team of the crime branch, headed by inspector Pandharinath Wavhal and assisted by Hanumant Joshi, was stationed in another room near suite number 1120, where the gambling was underway. After verifying the activities of the said persons, the team raided the suite and made the arrests on Saturday night.

The officials also seized cash to the tune of Rs 6.61 lakh and plastic coins worth Rs 3.24 lakh that were being used for gambling. Though the activity was taking place in the hotel, the officials are in the process of ascertaining if the hotel staff was in the loop.

Probe revealed that Jain and Thakkar allegedly had been conducting such events and the duo has been handed over to the Vakola police for further investigation. The police is now questioning them to find out how many such events were organised by them.  A case has been registered against the accused with the Vakola police station under sections of the Prevention of Gambling Act.