Saktri, June 19: In a late-night crackdown on illegal gambling, district police arrested five individuals from Manav Colony in Saketri, seizing cash, lottery materials, and communication devices used to operate the betting racket.
Acting on a tip-off received Tuesday night, a police team raided the slums of Manav Colony and caught four men in the act. The main accused, identified as Rajesh of Panditon Wala Mohalla, was apprehended the following day. All five were residing in the area at the time of the operation.
“We recovered a plastic chart featuring 12 symbols, blue and purple lottery slips, and two wireless sets used to avoid detection,” said a police official. “The accused had placed lookouts with wireless communication to alert them in case of police presence, which is why our team approached through an alternate route.”
The arrested individuals were identified as Dinesh from Budaun, Vijay Singh from Gumthal (Sambhal), Ram Kishan from Faridpur, and Atmaram of Saketri village. According to police, the accused admitted during questioning that they had gathered to conduct gambling using symbolic lottery charts.
Rajesh, the alleged ringleader, reportedly lured participants by promising returns up to ten times their bet based on the drawn symbol—such as a sun, lamp, pigeon, or bucket.
All five have been booked under Section 13 of the Gambling Act at the Mansa Devi Police Station. Further legal proceedings are ongoing.
