5 bookies held from Vastrapur hotel

AHMEDABAD: “Play' a cricket betting programme has become a favorite with big cricket bookies across Gujarat and Mumbai. This detail emerged during the interrogation of five bookies, including Jayesh Thakker of Bhabhar in Banaskantha, nabbed from a room at a posh hotel near Vastrapur lake on Monday .
Assistant commissioner of police, cyber cell, Rajdeep Zala said the bookies got the `Play' programme from a man in Unjha town of Mehsana district.The programme was used to note details of bets placed by punters.
Inspector J S Geddam of cyber cell said they received a tip-off that five bookies including Thakker were taking bets on a one-day match between Bangladesh and England and raided the hotel premises after securing a search warrant.
“In room no 1028 we found Jayesh Thakker, Lakhiram Tejwani also known as Lakhi Sihori, Raju Rana, Vishal Thakker and Hiralal Patel of Udaipur taking bets on the one-dayer between England and Bangladesh,“ added Geddam.
Cyber cell sources said they seized 10 laptops, 23 cell phones, one voice recorder, one dongle and a TV set.
“During interrogation of the accused it came to light that they were taking odds from two betting websites and would take bets on cell phone from their clients. The bets were noted in specially-designed programme `Play' Geddam said.
Cyber cell sources said they are retrieving the names of punters who placed bets on the match from the laptops seized from the bookies.