IPL sparks off betting boom in Jamshedpur

Jamshedpur, Oct 12: The cricket betting net has raised its ugly head in the city and has posed a big challenge for police to crack down on the racket. Electronic and physical survelliance systems have been beefed up and existing links with various intelligence agencies have been put on alert.

Following arrest of six accused involved in betting, the police have increased vigil and have started conducting raids. The police had arrested Kanhaiya Prasad, key accused and a resident of Sonari, along with five others. They were involved in betting near Chuna Shah Baba Mazaar in Bistupur.

According to the people involved in the racket, they are making quick money in spot betting during the match.  �Yes a racket is involved in it as it helps to make easy money for both who operate and the other puts money on betting. Apart from betting on a win, hundreds are likely to place their money on who wins the toss, fall of wickets, number of boundaries, runs of individual players. There are already a few inquiries about betting on scores and who will bowl the first over,” a bookie said on condition of anonymity.

On the playground the Indian Premier League (IPL) may have given chances to select players to churn easy money but off the field the league has given rise to one of the biggest betting rackets in the city too luring the youths to mint easy money.

The betting trade for season five of IPL is soaring high in the city with students of several schools falling prey to the racket. Even college students have started betting.

According to the people involved in the racket, they are making quick money in sport betting during the match. In IPL, bets are placed on wins, losses, runs per ball, final scores of teams or batsmen, how a batsman will get out, number of overs that each team will bowl and man of the match.

 �Acting on a tip-off we carried out the raid and arrested six suspects involved in betting IPL matches. We suspect they have links with other cities too. We have also decided to increase vigil in areas known for running betting rackets,� said Arvind Kumar, DSP, CCR. Sources also informed that areas like Kadma, Dhatkidih, Bistupur and Dhatkidih are home to several such rackets.

  “It’s easy money that attracts these college and school kids. They place bets for as low as Rs 250. Apparently most of the bigger bookies have bases outside the city. Some of them operate from as far as New Delhi,� noted one of the bookie involved in the racket at Jugsalai

Sources reveal that though bookies have been arrested on numerous occasions, there have been no convictions so far.  � We have been receiving complaints of betting on IPL. We have asked the police to carry search operations and keep a vigil on such activities,� noted an official.