12 held after raid at gambling den in Nagpur; 2 cops suspended, 1 transferred

PTI, Sep 29, 2024, 2:27 PM IST

Police have raided a gambling den in Maharashtra’s Nagpur district and arrested 12 persons besides seizing Rs 3.6 lakh cash and other items, officials said on Sunday.

Following the raid, two police personnel were suspended while another cop was transferred for failing to take appropriate action against the illegal activity in their area, they said.

Based on credible information, Assistant Superintendent of Police Anil Mhaske and his team raided the gambling den in Amgaon area on Thursday, which was apparently running for weeks, a Nagpur rural police official said.

The police arrested 12 persons involved in gambling activities. They also seized more than Rs 3.62 lakh in cash, three cars, five two-wheelers, several cellphones, and other items collectively valued at Rs 17.89 lakh, he said.

Following the raid, Superintendent of Police Dr Harssh Poddar launched an internal inquiry to ascertain the extent of police negligence.

The inquiry suggsted that inspector Prashant Kale, responsible for overseeing the area, had failed to take appropriate action, a senior police official said.

As a result, Kale was transferred to the Nagpur rural police control room, while beat in-charge Gajanan Mahure and local Crime Branch constable Roshan Kale were suspended for dereliction of duty, he said.

The gambling den was operated by goon Ramesh Bargat, with regular gamblers from Seoni, Balaghat (in Madhya Pradesh), Ramtek, Kuhi, Kamptee and Deolapar (in Nagpur) frequenting the establishment, according to police officials.

The accused often changed their location, playing at various spots, including in forests and at a farmhouse, they said.

Bargat had created a WhatsApp group to share the den’s location with regular customers, the police said.