Jalandhar man held for cricket betting; Rs 1.23 cr seized

Jalandhar, July 26: A 39-year-old man allegedly involved in a cricket betting racket has been arrested from the BSF colony here and Rs 1.23 crore cash seized from him, police said on Sunday.

A laptop computer and two mobile phones were also seized from the accused, identified as Sourav Verma, they said, adding that he is a civil engineering diploma holder and an architect by profession.

The gadgets will be handed over to the cyber cell to get to the bottom of the racket, the police said. Commissioner of Police Gupreet Singh Bhullar said a tip was received that the accused was allegedly running a betting racket from his home and a huge amount of cash was also in his possession there.

Bhullar said a police team raided the house and arrested the accused when he was betting on an ongoing England vs West Indies Test match. He said the accused was operating the racket through a 'Z-Account' online application.

Verma has been allegedly involved in betting for the last few years, the police said. Strict action will be taken against all those involved in this racket, they said.

The Income Tax department has also been informed about the seizure of the cash, the police said, adding that the accused was booked under relevant sections of the Gambling Act.