Just before neighbouring Delhi was to go to polls, the Noida Police on Friday cracked down on a gambling racket that took bets on, among other things, the outcome of the Assembly elections.
The Gautam Budh Nagar Police on Thursday arrested 17 people from Greater Noida’s Kulesara after a tip-off that the group was taking bets through WhatsApp and chits.
Dinesh Kumar, the station officer of Ecotech-3 police station, said on Friday that the group was taking bets at Haldoni village on the number of seats political parties will get in the Delhi Assembly.
“This had been going on for two or three months. They were mostly betting on cricket matches, but now they were taking bets on the seats the Bharatiya Janata Party and Aam Aadmi Party may get in Delhi,” said Mr. Kumar.
He added that Rs.1.12 lakh in cash, 16 phones, four silver coins and a 0.315 bore country-made rifle were seized from the accused. The men have been booked under provisions of the Gambling Act.
Meanwhile, the police in Noida maintained strict vigil near the Delhi border on Friday. Liquor shops in an eight-km radius of the border remained shut and will only open after the polls close on Saturday.
