Police swoop on betting racket before Assembly elections

Indian police have cracked down on a gambling racket that took bets on the outcome of elections, just as the people of Delhi were about to go to the polls to decide the make up of its governing Assembly.

According to The Hindu news source, Noida Police swooped on Friday, arresting 17 people from Greater Noida’s Kulesara after a tip-off that the group was taking bets through WhatsApp and chits.

Dinesh Kumar, the station officer of Ecotech-3 police station, said hat the group was taking bets at Haldoni village on the number of seats political parties will get in the Delhi Assembly. Kumar told the local media: “This had been going on for two or three months. They were mostly betting on cricket matches, but now they were taking bets on the seats the Bharatiya Janata Party and Aam Aadmi Party may get in Delhi.”

The equivalent of £1,200 in cash, 16 phones, four silver coins and a 0.315 bore country-made rifle were seized and the men have been booked under provisions of the Gambling Act.