New Delhi: In a major development in the investigation into the IPL betting racket in Punjab, the Khanna police have frozen bank accounts worth Rs 42.3 lakh allegedly linked to illegal cricket betting, according to a report in The Tribune.The development comes after the police busted a high-profile online betting network operating during this period. IPL And arrested four accused on April 12. Khanna Senior Superintendent of Police Darpan Ahluwalia said the money is suspected to have been collected through betting activities, and all transactions will now be investigated to trace the money trail and identify other beneficiaries.Go beyond limits with our YouTube channel. Subscribe now!The arrested persons – Dinesh Chhabra, Kiran Chhabra, Mahendra Singh and Naresh Kumar – all hail from Khanna and were allegedly running the racket for a long time. Police initially seized Rs 44,000 in cash as well as 11 mobile phones and a laptop used to facilitate the operation.International Link and Money Laundering TrailInvestigations have also uncovered the international dimension of the racket, with a local resident of Khanna, believed to be holed up in Dubai, emerging as the suspected kingpin. Officials say the accused used multiple bank accounts and digital platforms to launder money and entice people to bet on IPL matches through international apps.SSP Ahluwalia disclosed that the scope of the investigation will now be widened to examine the bank accounts of family members and associates, which have been used to hide additional illegal earnings. Central agencies, including the Enforcement Directorate, are also likely to be brought in to deepen the probe.The police further said that the main accused Dinesh and Naresh have already registered cases under the Gambling Act, while others also have a criminal background.In an important legal step, the Khanna police invoked Section 112 of the Bharatiya Naya Sanhita – a tough provision to deal with petty organized crime – in the FIR. If convicted, the accused can be jailed for up to seven years. Officials said it marked the first time such a section had been invoked in an IPL betting case in the region, signaling a tougher crackdown on organized illegal betting networks.
