CHANDIGARH, May 27 — Cracking down on an elaborate IPL betting operation, the Chandigarh Police Operations Cell arrested four individuals from a rented house in Sector 33, exposing a well-oiled syndicate with suspected international links and daily cash flows in lakhs.
Acting on a tip-off received on Monday, May 26, police raided House No. 1229 during a live IPL T-20 match between Punjab Kings XI and Mumbai Indians. The suspects — identified as Hardeep Singh alias Jolly (50), Deepak alias Deepu Pepsi (43), Santosh (19), and Bhuvan (25) — were allegedly running an illegal betting hub using advanced tech and offline cash networks.
“This was a highly coordinated setup with real-time betting options and access to live match telecasts ahead of regular feeds,” said Inspector Ranjit Singh, who led the operation under SP Operations Geetanjali Khandelwal, IPS, and DSP Operations Vikas Sheokand.
During the search, police recovered a substantial haul: 43 mobile phones, six laptops, two tablets, an LED screen, two Wi-Fi routers, a portable gamble box, and numerous other betting-related items. The equipment points to a sophisticated arrangement designed to facilitate seamless illegal gambling.
The arrested individuals have been booked under Sections 3 and 4 of the Punjab Gambling Act at Sector 34 Police Station. Investigations revealed that the group operated entirely through offline cash transactions, handled by intermediaries to avoid digital trails.
Preliminary findings indicate the operation had nodes beyond India. “There are leads suggesting connections with individuals in Dubai, where betting is legal. This angle is being actively pursued,” said a senior officer.
The accused come from diverse backgrounds. Hardeep Singh, a Class 10 dropout, and Santosh, educated till Class 8, are both residents of Sector 33. Deepak, a graduate from Panchkula’s Sector 20, and Bhuvan, who dropped out after Class 2, also operated from the same locality.
As the probe continues, authorities are working to map the syndicate’s financial network and trace further suspects. More arrests are likely as investigators pursue both domestic operatives and potential overseas collaborators.
