Delhi police in State, raid three places in Vasco
VIBHA VERMA
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PANJIM: The specter of the IPL spot-fixing scam touched Goa, with a team of Delhi police visiting the State allegedly to track down betting syndicates.
The team, which is purportedly looking at purchases made from money earned from spot-fixing by the three Rajasthan Royals cricketers embroiled in the scam, raided three places at Vasco Friday as part of the investigation. Sources indicate that the police had some leads from phone calls made to and from Goa.
Earlier the team from the capital’s special cell met the Goa Director General of Police Kishan Kumar seeking assistance for the investigation and to conduct searches in the State.
“Yes, they had come… sought assistance… We will provide all assistance required to the Delhi police for their investigation,” he said, confirming the meet but refusing to divulge details.
Police sources, on condition of anonymity given the large-scale ramifications of the case, said Delhi police are likely to clamp down on the betting syndicates operating in Goa as they could have connections with bookies presently in the custody of Delhi police.
It is learnt that several illegal betting syndicates discreetly operated from various parts in Goa and like in the other parts of the country, and rampant betting began here as the IPL season started.
Till the bookies were forced to stop the betting after the spot-fixing scandal and pan-India crackdown, a source from the bookie circle who did not want to be named,
said the turn over in Panjim was about Rs 25 lakh per day. Goan bookies are however not in any direct contact with cricketers of international repute, he said.
“The local bookies are linked to bigger bookies in Mumbai and other places but not with the cricketers. All bookies have their agents with whom a lot of people who want to place the bet, are in touch,” he said.
Secret betting codes such as ‘laambi’ and ‘favourites’, are used for placing bets on the phone, to evade police attention.
“In laambi, a person who is placing the bet has to give figures more than the overall target (total runs by one team) set by the bookies. It’s done after the 10th over…and ‘favourites’ code is basically choosing a team, which has the highest chances of winning a match. This is done before a match begins,” he said.
Although the business has been halted for now, a senior police official said Delhi police have extracted certain leads from the interrogation of the arrested bookies having their alleged links here.
Till a couple of days back the betting purportedly started from a minimum Rs 50,000 in Goa. “The betting has stopped but bookies are still getting inquiries from interested parties whether it has resumed,” the source said.
In Goa, the source said, spot fixing doesn’t exist but betting is placed on each over of the match or every 5 overs, ‘laambi’ and overall match.
