Daijiworld Media Network - Mapusa

Mapusa, May 10: Anjuna Police have busted an illegal IPL betting operation running from a residential flat in Assagao and arrested seven individuals from Maharashtra and Gujarat, officials said on Saturday.

Acting on specific intelligence inputs, police raided the flat and allegedly caught the accused in the act of placing and accepting bets on Indian Premier League matches, including a game between Delhi Capitals and Kolkata Knight Riders, using mobile phones and online platforms.

Officials said equipment and devices worth around Rs 6 lakh were seized during the operation, including eight mobile phones, a television set, and other electronic accessories used for facilitating the betting activity.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Nikhil Poptani (Pune), Vicky Vishwakarma (Thane), Kamlesh Bhakhru (Gujarat), Naveen Talreja (Thane), Rahul Shamdasani (Thane), Rohit Kanjam (Thane), and Bharat Namani (Gujarat).

According to police, preliminary investigation suggests that the accused had set up the betting network after the start of the 2026 IPL season on March 28. The flat in Assagao is suspected to have been rented specifically for operating the illegal betting setup during the tournament.

Authorities believe the racket was being run in coordination with online betting platforms and involved real-time wagering on live IPL matches.

The case is currently under investigation by Anjuna Police, under the supervision of Police Inspector Suraj Gawas, to trace possible wider links and financial transactions connected to the betting network.