VIJAYAWADA/ELURU: In two separate raids in Vijayawada, police have arrested eight cricket bookies for organising betting for the final IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Harshavardhan Raju said as many as 18 mobile phones, and two laptops and television sets each were seized from the accused during the raids. In one of them, the police raided a rented house in Sai Nagar Colony under Penamalur Police Station limits and found four accused organising the illegal trade. While three of them–Bhimavarapu Ranga Pothuraju (68), B Umamaheswara Rao (41), B Rammohana Rao (37)–hail from West Godavari, Sosupalli Ram Prasad (40) is from Penamalur.
“Based on credible information that a few people were indulging in the anti-social activity, a team went to the house and caught the accused in the act,” said Penamalur inspector Peddiraju.In another raid, Vuyyur police arrested one Devarapalli Sivaramakrishna (35), Ballani Sivayya (45), Nandipamula Vinod (27) and Gangavarapu Yesurathnam for organising online cricket betting.
Cases were booked against the eight under the AP Gaming Act, 1974 and the IT Act, 2000, and they would be produced before court on Tuesday, said the DCP, adding strict action would be initiated against those caught indulging in anti-social activities.
Meanwhile, the Eluru police have caught four bookies and 18 punters in multiple raids across the district for taking part in betting for the match between MI and CSK.
During the inspections in Dharmajigudem village, seven punters were arrested and `30,240 was seized from them. Four bookies were caught in the act in Juvvalapalen Road in Bhimavaram.Nine mobile phones and a TV set were seized from them. Another police team, which raided Upperu and Kukunoor villages, arrested 11 punters and seized 11 mobile phones.