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Five-star den unlucky for city`s top gamblers: Pioneer
New Delhi, June 06: The stage was set for a perfect evening with wine, women and money. Beds were laid on the floor for the gamblers to play with cards and bet with coloured tokens whose denominations ranged from Rs 1,000 to Rs 50,000. Everything worked out smoothly till the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police stepped in and upset all plans for the evening.
New Delhi, June 06: The stage was set for a perfect evening with wine, women and money. Beds were laid on the floor for the gamblers to play with cards and bet with coloured tokens whose denominations ranged from Rs 1,000 to Rs 50,000. Everything worked out smoothly till the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police stepped in and upset all plans for the evening.
In one of the biggest operations, the Crime Branch busted a gambling cartel operating from a luxurious suite at Ashoka Hotel in the Capital. Following a late night raid on Wednesday, 13 people were arrested. More than Rs 5 lakh in cash and tokens worth Rs 65 lakh were recovered from them.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Crime Branch, Dependra Pathak said: "We received information that some gamblers were assembling in a room at the Ashoka Hotel." After gathering necessary intelligence a police team led by Assistant Commissioner of Police (Anti-Robbery) Harish Chander Joshi was sent to the hotel.
Posing as bodyguards of the gamblers, the team reached suite number 1235 where the accused had made lavish arrangements. Liquor was being served by two servants specially appointed for the evening. According to the police, one of the accused - Ravinder Kumar Malhotra alias Pammi, who owns Poonam Hotel at Paharganj and a chain of guest houses, used to organise such events regularly.
Since the accused dealt in property dealing, financing, wholesale trade and other businesses, they used to invite acquaintances for gambling. The old hands made good money as novices lost huge sums, the police officials added. The police also recovered mobile phones. The numbers called from these phones indicate that girls were called on several occasions. Said Mr Pathak, "the group met every alternate day but at different places". What was interesting, said the DCP, was that an accountant kept track of the transactions made during such meetings.
The others arrested include Manjeet Singh, Sumit Banerjee (Poonam hotel manager), Khushvinder Singh (restaurant in Ghaffar Market), Prabhu Dayal, Parminder Pal Singh (property dealer), Jaswant Singh (financier and factory owner), Krishan Chand, Pawan Bajaj and S Kumar. The police has also arrested the accountant, Amar Nath Aggarwal and the two servants - Manoj and Joginder.
Besides cards and dices , the police recovered Rs 5,34,200 in cash and 354 plastic tokens amounting to Rs 65 lakh from the room. Said Mr Pathak: "the unearthing of this cartel is one of the biggest catches by the Delhi Police." All those arrested have been booked under sections of the Delhi Gambling Act. An FIR (no 137/03) has been registered at the Chanakyapuri police station.
In one of the biggest operations, the Crime Branch busted a gambling cartel operating from a luxurious suite at Ashoka Hotel in the Capital. Following a late night raid on Wednesday, 13 people were arrested. More than Rs 5 lakh in cash and tokens worth Rs 65 lakh were recovered from them.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Crime Branch, Dependra Pathak said: "We received information that some gamblers were assembling in a room at the Ashoka Hotel." After gathering necessary intelligence a police team led by Assistant Commissioner of Police (Anti-Robbery) Harish Chander Joshi was sent to the hotel.
Posing as bodyguards of the gamblers, the team reached suite number 1235 where the accused had made lavish arrangements. Liquor was being served by two servants specially appointed for the evening. According to the police, one of the accused - Ravinder Kumar Malhotra alias Pammi, who owns Poonam Hotel at Paharganj and a chain of guest houses, used to organise such events regularly.
Since the accused dealt in property dealing, financing, wholesale trade and other businesses, they used to invite acquaintances for gambling. The old hands made good money as novices lost huge sums, the police officials added. The police also recovered mobile phones. The numbers called from these phones indicate that girls were called on several occasions. Said Mr Pathak, "the group met every alternate day but at different places". What was interesting, said the DCP, was that an accountant kept track of the transactions made during such meetings.
The others arrested include Manjeet Singh, Sumit Banerjee (Poonam hotel manager), Khushvinder Singh (restaurant in Ghaffar Market), Prabhu Dayal, Parminder Pal Singh (property dealer), Jaswant Singh (financier and factory owner), Krishan Chand, Pawan Bajaj and S Kumar. The police has also arrested the accountant, Amar Nath Aggarwal and the two servants - Manoj and Joginder.
Besides cards and dices , the police recovered Rs 5,34,200 in cash and 354 plastic tokens amounting to Rs 65 lakh from the room. Said Mr Pathak: "the unearthing of this cartel is one of the biggest catches by the Delhi Police." All those arrested have been booked under sections of the Delhi Gambling Act. An FIR (no 137/03) has been registered at the Chanakyapuri police station.