India: 7 arrested over illegal lottery

Seven people have been arrested in Mumbai on charges of running an illegal lottery

India.- Police in East Mumbai’s Kurla neighbourhood have arrested seven men for running an illegal online lottery.

According to local media, police raided a shop in Kurla West after people reported that the owner was operating two illegal lotteries.

An officer said: “In these lottery systems, winners are declared in 15 minutes and no tax is paid to state or Central authorities.”

Those arrested were handed over to Nehru Nagar police, which registered a case under IPC, Lottery Regulation Act and Gambling Act provisions.

A few weeks ago, police in Vidyanagar arrested 19 men for illegal gambling and for disobeying Covid-19 countermeasures imposed by the government.

According to Times of India newspaper, those arrested were not wearing face masks and had met in a locked bungalow. Police seized cash, four motorcycles and gambling articles.

A similar case occurred in the city of Guargon, where five people were busted for illegal gambling. Among those arrested was a protocol adviser to a European country’s embassy in Delhi.

Officers raided a house, where the five men were playing cards and gambling with chips. According to police, the owner of the house and the casino had no licence to operate the venue. People were also again violating Covid-19 restrictions and were not wearing masks.