Wardha police find Goa link in money laundering racket

Wardha: The investigation in connection with a money laundering case involving online cricket betting, gaming and illegal financial transactions has revealed links to Goa, prompting Wardha police to widen the scope of the probe.Several cricket bookies from Wardha are now under the police radar and some suspects are reportedly not reachable. Police sources said some bookies are suspected to be staying at a specific location in Goa. Earlier, offences of cheating were registered against Tanmay Bhagat and Sunny Holani in the case based on a complaint filed by Pratik Lokhande of Borgaon Meghe stone quarry area. Holani is absconding and police have launched a search operation to trace him.Police investigation has found that Bhagat and Holani were allegedly in contact with several cricket bookies over the past two years. They are suspected to have been involved in selling corporate business accounts and current accounts for online cricket betting activities through agents based in Madhya Pradesh and Pune.Police suspect that these accounts were used for online betting transactions during cricket matches. QR codes were allegedly generated to facilitate online transfer of money through these accounts.Also, reliable sources claimed that a police officer had met Bhagat several times at hotels and remained in frequent contact with him. Holani had filed an anticipatory bail application in Wardha district sessions court. The court rejected his plea, following which police intensified the investigation. "The accused will be arrested soon," said city police inspector Santosh Tale.