Simga Nagar, Chhattisgarh – A significant breakthrough unfolded as the police successfully dismantled a sprawling gambling ring that had thrived in Simga Nagar for an extended period. This illegal gambling operation, concealed within a residence in Brahmin Para, drew numerous participants not only from Simga Nagar but also from neighboring villages. The scale of these activities was substantial, with bets worth lakhs of rupees changing hands.
Efforts to uncover the clandestine gambling operation had been ongoing, but the clever gamblers, equipped with their network of informers, managed to evade the authorities whenever a hint of a police presence arose. They skillfully paused their gambling activities temporarily to escape legal action, only to resume their operations once the coast was clear. It became evident that a well-planned strategy was required to apprehend all the gamblers and recover the substantial sums involved.
On October 13, 2023, the police received a tip-off indicating that gambling was in progress at a residence located in Brahmin Para, Simga Nagar. Acting on this information, a meticulously planned raid was executed under the guidance of Senior Superintendent of Police, Mr. Deepak Kumar Jha. The operation was carried out with the assistance of Additional Superintendent of Police Balodabazar and SDOP Bhatapara, Mr. Ashish Arora, and led by Inspector Ajay Jha, the in-charge of the Simga police station.
The police team rapidly surrounded the gambling house from all directions, effectively ensuring that no advance warning reached the gamblers. The sudden police presence sent shockwaves through the gamblers, who had not anticipated a successful raid.
In the aftermath of the operation, the police apprehended 24 individuals actively engaged in gambling. The seized items included 52 playing cards and a substantial ₹10,87,062 in cash. Furthermore, the police team confiscated two vehicles and 26 mobile phones from the scene. Notably, this marked the first instance in the district where a gambling raid resulted in the seizure of over Rs. 10 lakh in cash.
Among the arrested individuals, Aniket Pandey and his father, Anil Pandey, were identified as being present at the gambling site. A case has been registered against the gamblers at the Simga police station under Section 13 of the Gambling Act and Sections 04 and 05 of the Chhattisgarh Gambling Prohibition Act.
Efforts are underway to locate and arrest Anil Pandey, a resident of Simga Nagar who was gambling within the house.
List of Accused Gamblers:
- Pankaj Dhirani, age 30, resident of Sindhi Colony, Bemetara police station and district Bemetara.
- Vishnu Mandalay, age 35, resident of ward number 01 Khamharia police station Khamharia, district Bemetara.
- Hansram Sahu, age 39, resident of village Pendri, police station Bhatapara rural.
- Pradeep Motwani, age 40, resident of Deendayal Colony, Bhilai police station Smriti Nagar, district Durg.
- Pawan Kingrani, age 48, resident of village Khokhali, police station Bhatapara rural.
- Bhisham Sahu, age 25, resident of village Pendari, police station Bhatapara rural.
- Yogesh Kumar, age 32, resident of village Duldula, police station Simga.
- Kaushal Kumar, age 40, resident of Kailash Nagar, Mathpara police station, Urla district, Raipur.
- Sunil Kumar, age 43, resident of Tilda Camp, Nevra District, Raipur.
- Sushil Kumar, age 27, resident of village Khamharia, police station Khamharia, district Bemetara.
- Sahadev Chelak, age 30, resident of village Khanduwa, police station Simga.
- Devendra Verma, age 35, resident of village Suma, police station Bhatapara rural.
- Daya Das Barle, age 57, resident of village Hirapur, police station Pipariya, district Kawardha.
- Inder Sharma, age 45, resident of Shankar Ward, Bhatapara.
- Shrikant Tiwari, age 35, resident of Mangala Chowk, Ward No. 07, Bilaspur police station, Civil Line, Bilaspur, District Bilaspur.
- Ashwani Patel, age 31, resident of Ragra, police station Sahaspur, Lohara district, Kabirdham.
- Manish Ratre, age 24, resident of ward number 01 Satnami Para, Khamharia police station Khamharia, district Bemetara.
- Ghanshyam Chandrakar, age 45, resident of Jai Stambh Chowk, Khamaria police station, Khamaria district, Bemetra.
- Ajay Sharma, age 27, resident of village Tihupara, Simga police station Simga.
- Mohanlal, age 45, resident of village Kharti, police station Khamhariya, district Bemetra.
- Vinod Chandrakar, age 28, resident of village Baitri, police station Pipariya, district Kabirdham.
- Gopal Yadu, age 28, resident of village Tarenga, police station Bhatapara rural.
- Harpreet Singh alias Rinku Bhatia, age 40, resident of Brahmin Para, Simga.
- Aniket Pandey, age 26, resident of ward number 8, Simga, police station Simga.
Details of Seized Items:
- Cash: ₹10,87,062
- Playing cards: 52
- Vehicle: Car CG12 AR8512
- Vehicle: Car CG07 CD3642
- Motorcycle: Deluxe CG06 GW5160
- Mobile phones: 26
The successful raid not only highlights the diligent work of the District Balodabazar-Bhatapara Police Team but also demonstrates their commitment to upholding the law and curbing illegal gambling activities.
