Rachakonda cops bust illegal horse race betting racket, arrest five

Hyderabad: The Rachakonda Police Special Operations Team along with the Meerpet police busted an illegal horse race betting racket and arrested five persons on Thursday. Police seized Rs 42 lakh and gadgets, altogether worth Rs 43 lakh from them.

Officials said the gang was organising betting by creating two WhatsApp groups of punters and communicating through it.

The arrested persons were Thirumal Reddy Joji Reddy (42), a businessman and organiser from Meerpet, A Joseph Reddy (39), an accountant and sub-organiser from Miyapur, Franklin Koma Reddy (39), an accountant from Himayathnagar, B Madhav Reddy (47), a punter from Champapet and D Ramchandra Reddy (52), a private employee and punter from Kukatpally. Another suspect, Pratap Reddy, is absconding.

According to the police, Joji Reddy who lost money in horse race betting as a punter earlier, decided to make easy money by turning into a bookie.

“During the nationwide lockdown due to the pandemic, people remained indoors and there were no horse races in the country. The races resumed only in November 2020, but many people preferred to bet on horses through mobile phones using various betting apps,” said Mahesh Bhagwat, Police Commissioner, Rachakonda.

One must bet on a horse on the premises of a racecourse. If bets are accepted beyond the premises of a racecourse, it is illegal. The suspects were accepting bets from people over phones and through online means. Joji Reddy also started illegally organized horse race betting in WhatsApp groups from a rented house in Nandanavanam in Meerpet.

“The punters were aware that the process was illegal. Joji Reddy accepted online bets and money through e-wallets Google Pay, PhonePe, to record the money transactions (in and out) he appointed Joseph Reddy, Franklin Koma Reddy and paid them Rs 40,000 salary per month,” Bhagwat said.

While organising betting on horse races in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mysuru, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai by watching updates on apps, Joji Reddy used to post screenshots of the race in the WhatsApp groups. The punters use to pay and play the game. The winning amount was transferred to them through e-wallets only.

Following a tip-off, the police raided Joji Reddy’s house and nabbed them while they were organising betting on a Bengaluru Race. They were handed over to the Meerpet police for investigation.

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