Betting racket: Cops groping in the dark

ON NOVEMBER 10,

THE BIKANER POLICE CLAIMED TO HAVE BUSTED A HAWALA SYNDICATE WITH OVERSEAS CONNECTION

BIKANER: The Bikaner police is still groping in the dark even 20 days after two arrests were made and they claimed to have busted an international hawala and cricket-betting racket.

On November 10, the Bikaner police claimed to busted a hawala syndicate with overseas connection, after they arrested one Ramlal Jhanvar alias RL, and his brother Shiv Jhanvar alias Prem, for cricket-betting and funding through hawala.

The police interrogated the duo twice after they were remanded by court, but the case is still under investigation with no breakthrough.

Police sources said that the list the Jhanvar brothers revealed still remains a mystery. The duo have revealed around 40 names, but no arrests were made since most of the betting squad have gone underground since the arrests, sources said.

Meanwhile, advocate Kuldeep Sharma, representing the accused duo, said that the case was made complicate after the police added non-applicable acts. “The police registered the case under Section 17 and 18 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the investigation for which requires a mandatory permission from the Central government. Ramlal Jhanvar made an overseas call to his own brother in Dubai for some time, and police suspect that the calls were made to transfer money through hawala.”

The case is currently handled by circle officer Rajendra Singh. Sources said there has been no breakthrough till now, and while the police have failed to crack the case, aides of the Jhanvar brothers have gone underground.

Circle Officer Rajendra Singh said that the file is with the high court for hearing of the bail application of accused. “Till the file returns, we are unable to go further. We are tracing some mobile numbers that we intercepted during primary investigation,” he said.