Delhi police officer in illegal cricket betting operation

Authorities in New Delhi found the officer involved in an organised cricket betting operation and other related crimes.

India.- New Delhi’s police force has dismissed an officer for being involved in an organised illegal cricket betting operation. Amit Kumar was also accused of being associated with criminals and rioters and of organising illegal gambling events.

According to The Indian Express, Kumar was discovered during a fight between two men who were involved in betting operations. One of them was Amit Raghav who was part of a betting racket and was close to Amit Kumar.

Officers discovered that both Raghav and Kumar carried out illegal gambling rackets and collected money from gamblers. Police also suspect Kumar was involved with bar owners who were breaching Covid-19 countermeasures.

An officer stated: “We found that Kumar was actively in touch with all the bar owners and managers in the area. During questioning, he admitted he called them regularly.”

In June, police in Andhra Pradesh busted an illegal cricket betting racket that was taking bets on the sixth edition of the Pakistan Super League. According to local media, four people were arrested through a joint operation between the City Task Force and the PM Palem Police.

During the raid, police seized SIM cards, 29 mobile phones, laptops, TV sets, five account books and INR1,590 (US$21.70). Police said the cricket betting racket operated on the match between Quetta Gladiators and Peshawar Zalmi, and the match between Quetta Gladiators and Peshawar Zalmi.

Cricket remains India’s most popular sport. There is a huge underground cricket betting market said to be worth between US$45bn and US$150bn a year. Around 80 per cent of illegal sports betting in India is on Cricket.

However, Shabir Hussein Shekhadam Khandwawala, the head of the Anti-Corruption Unit of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), said that he is firmly against the possibility of legalising sports betting in India.

Unlike his predecessor, who had stated that legalising betting would be the most effective means of preventing corruption within the game, Khandwawala believes legal sports betting would encourage match-fixing.

He said: “We can make the rules more strict. We will work on that. It is a matter of great prestige that cricket is largely free of corruption. Credit should go to the BCCI for that.”