The Santhosh Nagar police, on Sunday, busted a cricket betting racket at Edi Bazaar, arresting three people and seizing about Rs 2.5 lakhs. According to the police, the prime accused, Muhammad Ahmedullah, 42, from Riyasathnagar, a kirana shop owner, was caught accepting bet amounts from punters for the IPL cricket match between Kings XI Punjab and Deccan Chargers.
Police said the other two accused, Muhammad Anwar from Riyasathnagar, 20, and Viswanath Rai from Moin Bagh, 40, an unskilled labourer from Bihar, visited Ahmadulla on Sunday morning and invested their amount for the bet. “We suspect they have indulged in betting on all the matches of Deccan Chargers and have accumulated money from many people, including students,” said K.V.M. Prasad, Santoshnagar police inspector.
The accused, who reportedly confessed that they had bet with a large sum on the last two matches between the Deccan Chargers and Chennai Super Kings, were produced before the Nampally magistrate and remanded to judicial custody. The Santhosh Nagar police has widened the investigation to identify others involved.