Hyderabad: The Hyderabad Commissioner’s Task Force, South Zone Team along with SR Nagar police busted an illegal online betting racket and arrested 8 members of a gang involved in operating the banned betting apps in SR Nagar. Police seized 18 mobile phones, 3 bank passbooks, 13 ATM cards, and an online monetary transaction amounting to Rs 29,81,000.

Police arrested G Vinay Kumar (23), N Sai Vardhan Goud (22), D Rahul (23), D Jeshwanth Teja (22), Joda Venu Gopal (31), Kola Ram (23), Velpula Akash (22), and D Pranay (22). The accused were playing prohibited online Khelo Games Betting by using online apps - Khelostar, Khelo24, Kehlo Exchange, Khelo Sports and Win match with User IDs and Passwords. Other two persons Rajesh and Aslam both native of Kareem Nagar are absconding.

According to police, the main accused Rajesh and Aslam of Kareem Nagar came to Hyderabad to lead their life by doing various professions. They had formed a gang and are indulging in illegal activities by using online betting applications. Accordingly, they had identified online web applications and also provided user IDs and passwords, mobile phones to the punters on commission basis. “To play the game they were collecting Bank Accounts from the known innocent persons as every User ID should have a bank account, so that the winning amount would be credited in those bank accounts,” said Ande Srinivasa Rao, Addl. DCP Task Force.

Furthermore, the main accused persons mingled with the other accused who also came to Hyderabad from Jagtial and Peddapalli district, to lead their lives by doing various professions. “All had formed a gang and have been playing online betting by using online mobile applications on different IDs and earning easy money illegally. Till now we identified a total 235 IDs,” said Srinivasa Rao.

On information, the police apprehended the accused persons near Nagarjuna School, SR Nagar. The SR Nagar Police registered a case in U/s 3 & 4 TS Gaming Act and took up investigation.