BENGALURU: Sudeep, 40, who committed
suicide
in Chamarajnagar last Monday, had made an appeal to the general public before hanging himself. He wanted people to learn from his example and
not get emotionally involved in cricket
and
bet money
on it.
Sudeep, who was working in a stone quarry in Chamarajnagar, killed himself after losing Rs five lakh. He was distressed over not being able to repay debt, as he didn’t win a single bet in the present Indian Premier League (IPL) season.
“Cricket is just a game; please don’t take it too seriously. Understand that cricket is not a business option for viewers like us. If you bet money, you will not only harm yourself like me, but also leave you family in the lurch,” Sudeep wrote in his suicide note.
While Sudeep’s suicide suggests the betting menace has reached the remotest parts of the state, police say 13 people have resorted to the extreme step in the past nine years after IPL was launched in 2008.
A senior police official said distress levels in Karnataka have been higher this year, as Royal Challengers Bangalore have lost 11 of 13 matches to hit the bottom of the table. Expecting betting activities to be at their peak with the tournament to reach the playoffs stage on May 16, the senior cop appealed to the public not to get lured by bookies.
“It all depends on how people choose to enjoy the game. Betting is not a way to enjoy any sport and people must know it,” said K Ramachandra Rao, inspector general of police (northern range), who busted one of the biggest
IPL betting
rackets in 2013 in Hubballi.
With Hubballi becoming one of biggest cricket betting centres in the country, police have conducted 13 raids and arrested more than 50 people in north Karnataka after the IPL season kicked off on April 5. Hubballi is linked to betting centres in Mumbai and Goa; owners of Goa casinos have been mainly involved. Among the racketeers are also those whose houses were raided by income tax sleuths during the demonetization drive.
Police sources said Bengaluru is the biggest betting centre after Hubballi and a sum of over Rs 100 crore usually changes hands during an IPL match. Cricket buff Mahesh H Rao, senior vice-president at a technology firm, said he hasn’t missed a single Bangalore match but betting is against spirit of the game. “You are a sport when you enjoy the defeat of your favourite team,” he said.
‘
Legalize betting’Many among the cricket fraternity feel legalizing betting would help curb the menace. “The betting menace can’t be eliminated as long as people continue to get lured. The best option would be to legalize betting on IPL matches on the lines of the English Premier League,” said former cricketer Somashekar Shiraguppi.
Tech as an aidBetting is being aided by technology, with bookies using modern gadgets. Inspector general of police K Ramachandra Rao said bookies use equipment which connects multiple mobile phone lines, up to 120. Bookies accept money wagered by people in advance. Usually, the odds are placed in the range of 1:5 and 1:10 and bets are placed on the final result of the match as well as ball-to-ball outcome. A source said betting rackets are rampant in many areas, including Yeshwantpur and RMC Yard, where labourers actively participate in it. Grocery shops, wine stores and pubs are places where betting money is accepted.