Shoban Mehta was arrested by Mumbai police
TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: Mumbai Crime Branch sleuths Friday arrested a suspected bookie in the Indian Premier League (IPL) spot fixing case, from a starred resort here, right under the nose of the local police.
Shobhan Mehta, 50, a resident of Nariman Point, Mumbai was picked up from the resort where he was staying with his wife and son. Sources said the Mumbai sleuths arrested him at about 11:30 am and produced him before a local court for transit remand.
It was only after the counterparts communicated in writing to the local police informing about the arrest, that local law enforcement agencies apparently realized that the man, against whom a look out circular was issued, was staying in Goa. The accused in the high profile case, was reportedly paying Rs 10,000 per day for one room. The scam has till date netted high profile cricketers, film personalities and businessmen all over the country.
The police allege that Mehta placed his bets through Jaipur and Delhi based bookie identified as one Ashwin Agarwal. Police had found his last call was made from the Chhatrapati Shivaji International airport.
Police sources told Herald that Mehta had stayed in two other starred resorts before checking-into the resort from where he was arrested. He has been booked under sections 465, 466, 468, 471, 419, 420, 212, 120-B and 34 of the Indian Penal Code and sections 4 and 5 of the Mumbai Gambling Act.
The team along with the accused flew to Mumbai later in the evening. Mehta was earlier arrested by the Mumbai Police in 2005 as well.
In May-end, when the Delhi police were on a pan-India crackdown after the spot fixing scandal was exposed with the arrests of three cricketers, Calangute police had arrested six bookies in Candolim, based on a tip-off that they were accepting bets for the final IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings.
The villa, which the accused had rented out for Rs 2 lakh per month was raided and all were arrested. They were subsequently bailed out but later on was arrested by Mumbai police.
