CBI team conducting searches in Jhansi subjected to verification drive by local cops

Jhansi: A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team from Delhi, conducting searches in Jhansi as part of a probe into an online betting racket, was subjected to a verification drive by the local police in the early hours of Tuesday.The CBI officials had arrived in Jhansi to investigate an alleged syndicate involved in illegal bitcoin transactions linked to online betting operations. Acting on leads, the team carried out simultaneous searches at two properties belonging to Dharmendra Shakya and Dinesh Parihar in the Puravia Tola area, which falls under the jurisdiction of Premnagar police station.As the CBI team commenced their operation, Jhansi police received a tip-off claiming that an unauthorized group had entered the premises under the guise of investigative officers. Given past incidents of fraudulent raids conducted by imposters posing as CBI officials, the local police acted swiftly.A team led by an additional superintendent of police arrived at the location to verify the identity of the investigators.Two CBI officials were taken to the police station for further verification, where their credentials and official documentation were thoroughly scrutinized. After confirming the authenticity of their operation, the police allowed the CBI team to proceed with the searches, which continued for the remainder of the day.According to SP (city) Gyanendra Kumar Singh, "The CBI team was here to search two houses in connection with an online scam. We conducted a verification process to ensure their legitimacy."The searches were conducted under a court-issued warrant from Delhi, as Shakya and Parihar are suspected of playing key roles in an illegal betting network that allegedly laundered money through cryptocurrency transactions.Police sources revealed that the accused individuals had previously worked in Dubai nearly a decade ago, where they built international connections that remain active to this day. Authorities are now probing whether these foreign links played a role in their alleged involvement in the betting syndicate.Officials suspect that the racket was not just limited to India but had possible ties to offshore gambling platforms and cryptocurrency exchanges. Investigators are also looking into whether any foreign nationals or organized crime groups were involved in facilitating illegal financial transactions.