On March 27, 2007, while cricket fans were crushed with Team India's early exit from the Cricket World Cup, the bookmakers seemed quite indifferent with the outcome as the illegal betting business conducted in Madhya Pradesh continued without any interruption, according to reliable sources. The area of Indore seems to be the center for this kind of illegal activity, especially during the Cricket World Cup.
This can be deduced from the illegal betting rings that have been discovered in the area by police officers in the past few months. Just last Saturday, police officers raided a betting ring in Indore and arrested 4 people for mobile gambling. Officers recovered Rx 46,000 and the "satta slips", which is equivalent to millions and millions of rupees, according to police officers.
Deputy Superintendent Rajesh Vyas, said that the people that were arrested were wagering on the match between Cricket powerhouses South Africa and Australia. The suspects are already in the process of being interrogated to discover if they have any connections with big-time bookmakers in India or overseas.
That day, the Indore authorities also arrested 2 suspects that were operating a betting ring during the cricket match between New Zealand and Kenya. Officers confiscated betting slips, which were equivalent to around Rs. 300,000, mobile phones that the bettors use and a portable color television.
April 02, 2007
Matt Gross