PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE | Dehradun
The police and the Special Task Force (STF), in a joint operation, arrested 12 individuals from a house located in the forested area of Saliyawala village, Dehradun, where an illegal casino was being operated.
The raid was conducted in the early hours of Sunday following a confidential tip received by the senior police officers. Acting on this information, a joint team of local police and STF was formed to raid the location.
The Dehradun senior superintendent of police Ajai Singh said that upon entering the house, police found a large room where the illegal casino was active. Several men were found betting using casino coins and playing cards. During the raid, the police seized 1,900 casino coins, Rs 89,700 in cash, 12 mobile phones, two decks of cards and a car. All 12 individuals present were arrested under the Gambling Act and investigations are ongoing to gather details of their bank accounts and financial dealings.
He stated that during interrogation, the accused from Delhi admitted they had come to Dehradun for the first time to gamble at the casino. They claimed that they often travel to different states to gamble and had been in contact with local residents including Shashank, the owner of the house, as well as Umesh Rawat and Vikram Shah. The group coordinated with these contacts to set up and participate in the illegal gambling activity, as per the SSP.
He stated that the accused revealed they did not carry large amounts of cash and instead relied on verbal transactions. One individual typically managed the settlement of winnings and payments. The accused from Dehradun reportedly claimed that the Delhi-based accused were friends and had been invited to Dehradun for the first time. The raid interrupted the gambling session shortly after it had started. One person, Vikram Shah, named during the investigation, was not present at the location and further action is being taken against him, Singh said.
