The Crime Branch has begun a probe into the alleged link between money launderers and lottery winners from other states.
The state government had referred around 118 claims from residents of other states to the Crime Branch after the Lottery Department raised doubts over the genuineness of the claims.
Meanwhile, the genuineness of the claim by Kishan Chand, the first prize winner of Karunya Lottery’s Rs 1 crore, has come under a cloud owing to his contradictory claims.
It is learnt that the government will refer his case to the Crime Branch as the Lotteries Department has got clues on his suspicious links with money launderers.
The agent who sold ticket to Kishan Chand has complained to the department that he was cheated by Kishan Chand of Rs 7 lakh. In his petition, the agent said that Chand had borrowed Rs 7 lakh from the Rs 10 lakh commission the former got for the sale of the winning ticket.
He has urged the department to withhold the prize money till the amount due to him is paid.
Case Filed Meanwhile, Chand has filed a case at the sub-court arguing he was a sub-agent and was denied the amount due to him by the main agent.
However, the Lotteries Department which smelled a rat has written to the government asking to withhold the money till the case is disposed of.
Police officials who didn’t want to be named said that the presence of a large caucus of money launderers cannot be ruled out in the issue.