Vijayawada: Proddatur police of YSR Kadapa district busted an online cricket betting racket operating from Proddatur town and arrested six members involved in the illegal activity. The arrests followed a detailed investigation into complaints of fraudulent bank account operations linked to online betting transactions.
According to the police, the racket was being run through the website royalbook365.co.in, with operations allegedly controlled from Bengaluru by two key accused, Veera Shankar and Chandra, both natives of Lingapuram village in Proddatur mandal. The duo reportedly recruited local associates to open multiple current bank accounts to facilitate online betting payments and transactions.
Police investigations revealed that six arrested accused persons, Arla Chennakrishna, Dagadari Narendra, Meruva Hari, Illuri Sudheer Kumar Reddy, Palla Pothula Krishna Reddy, and Satna Raviteja were managing betting-related financial operations using these bank accounts.
The gang had opened at least 16 current bank accounts across different banks, which were used for large-scale illegal betting transactions linked to major cricket tournaments, including the recent India-Australia and Women's World Cup final matches. Based on information from the banks, police have already frozen Rs 8.7 lakh across these accounts and requested all concerned banks to freeze other suspicious accounts as well.
Police also seized Rs 6.28 lakh in cash, eight mobile phones, and four bank passbooks used in the transactions.
Police said the investigation began after a complaint from Pedamalla Jagan of Chinnaguravalluru village in Chapadu mandal, who alleged that the accused had opened current accounts through him for online trading purposes and later attacked him when he refused to open more accounts after some were frozen. The case was registered at Proddatur two town police station, leading to the wider exposure of the organised betting network.
SP Shelke Nachiket Vishwanath warned that such organized financial crimes can severely impact the future of the youth and assured that strict surveillance is being maintained over illegal websites and online gaming apps. Proposals have also been sent to the state DGP to block websites involved in online betting activities.
Police said the main accused, Veera Shankar and Chandra, are currently absconding, and special teams have been formed to track and arrest them. All six arrested individuals have been booked under non-bailable offences related to organised betting and online financial crimes.
Madhu Rasala is a journalist based in Andhra Pradesh, with crime ...
Read MoreMadhu Rasala is a journalist based in Andhra Pradesh, with crime reporting as a major focus. He has been covering a wide range of beats including politics, development, tourism, environment, wildlife, civic issues, and social justice. Known for ground-level reporting and in-depth stories, Madhu brings sharp attention to detail and regional insight, especially while covering crime and law enforcement in the Telugu states.
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