Gambling dens in Jamshedpur under scanner ahead of Diwali

Jamshedpur, Oct 26: Ahead of Diwali, gambling is picking up in the city. People from upper strata of society are too engaged in playing it in hotels while groups of gamblers can be seen engaged in the illegal activity openly in slum areas like Bhuiyandih, Birsanagar, Jugsalai and others.

As per law, gambling is an illegal act and the persons involved in it should be booked under the Gambling Act. With Diwali round the corner, the police have increased vigil.

“Apart from relying on the information from the people, the officers-in-charge of the police stations have been asked to intensify their own information network to find out the places which are noted for gambling, and act accordingly,” said a police official.

Sources reveal that gambling is being organised in large scale at localities like Jugsalai, Sonari, Sakchi and Sitaramdera to mark the Diwali.

At Jugsalai, where gambling is common during Diwali, gambling dens are located on Gauri Shankar Road, Purani Basti Road, Mahtopara Road and on the Station Road.  The illegal game is also organised at two hotels located on the Station Road.

“There are over a dozen such dens in Jugsalai where the volume of money put at a single round ranges from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 5 lakh.  On the Diwali eve, the gambling in such dens starts from 8 pm or 8.30 pm and continues till 3 am and beyond.  But there are also places where the game is played on a lower profile and it gets through by midnight,” said the informed sources.

At Sakchi, the gambling is organised at an organised form near the Number 9 Bus stand and also the Fish Market.  At Sonari the gambling is organised in major ways at Gudri Market and Khuntadih, but the game is organised in small ways at every convenient corner of the entire Sonari.

Gambling is also held at DB Road in Bagbera and also near the Tatanagar railway station under the Bagbera police station on the eve of the Diwali every year.

Keeping in view the prevailing scenario in the gamblers’ parlance in the city, senior superintendent of police, M Tamil Vanan has instructed all the officers-in-charge of the police stations to act sternly against those found indulged in gambling.

 The police official said that they had initially planned to engage the officers-in-charge of one police station to another police station so as to conduct raids against the gambling, but they dropped the idea as there are other aspects of law and order that have to be taken care of during the Diwali.

“Apart from the work of raids at gambling dens, the officers-in-charge have other responsibilities during the Diwali celebration.  Therefore, the interchanging the officers-in-charge for an effective action against the gambling dens will not be a wise step,” said the official, adding that he would closely monitor the progress in any raid against the gamblers