IPL betting case: Arbaaz confesses to placing bets earlier, claims cops

Team Udayavani, Jun 2, 2018, 1:20 PM IST

Thane (Maha): Bollywood actor and filmmaker Arbaaz Khan has told police that he has been betting on cricket matches for the past five to six years, a police official claimed today.

The actor, however, claimed that he had not placed bets on any match of the 2018 season of the Indian Premier League that ended on May 27, the official said.

Khan arrived here today for recording his statement before the police in connection with an alleged IPL betting racket, officials said.

“The actor told police that he has been betting on cricket matches for the past 5-6 years,” the police official said on the condition of anonymity.

The city police yesterday issued summons to the 50-year-old actor-producer for recording his statement today in connection with the betting racket.

The recording of his statement was still underway, the official said.

In a letter sent to Khan, the police asked him to join the probe in the wake of arrest of an alleged bookie who was placing bets on the recently-concluded Indian Premier League (IPL), a police official had said.

Khan reached the office of the Thane Police’s Anti-Extortion Cell (AEC) for recording his statement, DCP (Crime) Abhishek Trimukhe said.

On May 15, the AEC busted a racket with the arrest of four people in Mumbai, including Sonu Jalan alias Sonu Malad, who is believed to be one of the top bookies of the country, officials have said.

During the investigation, a “connection” between Jalan and Khan was established, head of the AEC, Senior Inspector Pradeep Sharma had yesterday said.

“We suspect that Arbaaz Khan had placed bets on IPL matches and want to scrutinise his bank transactions,” another police official had told PTI.

Khan allegedly lost Rs 2.80 crore in betting to Jalan and was not paying the amount, following which the bookie had threatened the actor, the official had said, citing the interrogation of the arrested accused.