BHOPAL: Ongoing Income Tax department searches at eight premises related to key players of an alleged online IPL betting racket busted by city police on Saturday have brought to the fore unaccounted transactions worth over Rs 100 crore.
The searches which started since Saturday late night at seven premises of seven to eight businessmen in Bhopal and later included another location in the MP capital on Monday have led the IT sleuths to entries in documents and diaries, which reveal unaccounted cricket betting transactions worth over Rs 100 crores. With more documents and diaries being probed, the unaccounted transactions could be higher than Rs 100 crores.
Besides, the preliminary tax evasion of Rs 100 crores, the IT department search has also unearthed an illegal money lending racket being run by one to two businessmen forming part of the international betting racket having prime links in Dubai. Hundis worth over Rs 4 crore have been seized.
While searches have ended at six locations, two locations including one location owned by Dubai-based alleged mastermind of the racket Dilip Nahlani in Ashoka Garden area of Bhopal are still being searched. Nahlini is being questioned by sleuths in connection with the racket which could grow bigger as the probe continues.
Police investigations into the racket have pointed towards the possibility of the IPL betting racket being worth Rs 500 crores.
Unaccounted cash totalling Rs 1.25 crore-plus (including around Rs 1.20 crore seized in the police operation on Saturday) and gold and silver bullions worth around Rs 7 lakh to Rs 10 lakh too have been seized.
Since the sole gold bullion seized from the premises of one of the businessmen is of foreign origin, hence that matter has been referred to the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI).