Daijiworld Media Network - Chikkamagaluru (SP)
Chikkamagaluru, Feb 18: Of late, the news about involvement of bigwigs with gambling through cricket betting has been making the rounds here. Six persons are already behind the bars in this connection. In a curious development, police arrested four persons including city unit president of BJP Yuva Morcha on Friday February 17.
In the recent past, district superintendent of police, K Annamalai, who has gained recognition as a no-nonsense police officer, had talked about finding out details of 40 persons involved with a WhatsApp group linked with betting activity. He had stated that the cellphone concerned had been sent to Hyderabad for laboratory tests to determine their names and addresses. It is said that there is likelihood of more arrests relating to cricket betting.
The foursome arrested now happen to be Kanchan Gowda alias Rocky (28), president of BJP Yuva Morcha's city unit, owner of Green Hotel and financier, Gireesh (36), Shivadath (43), resident of Vijayapura extension, and Chetan Shet alias Santhu Katte (34) from Rajeshwari Nagara extension, Bengaluru.
Accused Kanchan Gowda with MLA C T Ravi
So far the cops have recovered Rs 2.13 lac in cash, a laptop, a car and 16 cellphones from those who have been arrested for links with cricket betting, Annamalai said. Relating to this case, BJP municipal councillor, Ravi Kumar alias Kayi Ravi (40), Prashant (34) from Kote extension here, Abhishek (28) from Hirekolale village, Venkatesh (42), resident of Naidu Street, Afzal (30) from Andechatra, and Mohan (34) from Market Road, were taken into possession and remanded to judicial custody.
Photos of Kanchan Gowda photographed in the company of MLA, C T Ravi, MP, Shonbha Karandlaje and a Swamiji are being circulated through internet now. The fact that several BJP activists are getting arrested in this case has come as a shocker for the BJP leaders from the district including C T Ravi.