IPL betting racket busted; here’s how Delhi Police caught upper-middle-class perpetrators from a packed stadium

People allegedly involved in Indian Premier League (IPL) betting were arrested by Delhi Police for operating from cricket stadiums during matches. Authorities arrested 25 from Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi during a match between Delhi Capitals and Gujarat Titans on April 4.

Police officers disguised as spectators were deployed in various stands of the stadium to keep watch on the crowd. Acting on leads, the police apprehended 25 people from the stand. Most of those arrested were aged between 25 and 40 and from upper-middle-class families.

According to the police, those arrested were well-educated and had been involved in such illegal practices for five to 10 years. The accused used online IDs and applications to update betting rates.

"The online betting was being conducted through various sites and applications. During interrogation, it was revealed that these bookies cash in on the fraction delay in broadcast during over breaks to place the rates of bets. They keep themselves online constantly and keep revising rates on the IDs being used by them. On the basis of these rates, betters from all over the world play their betting game," The Times of India quoted Sanjay Sain, DCP (Central), as saying.

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Investigations revealed that bookies cashed in on the fraction delay in broadcast during over breaks to place the rates of bets. They kept themselves online constantly and revised rates on the IDs being used by them. The police said that betters from all over the world played their betting game on the basis of these rates.

The police also found that multiple sites provided these IDs online, and a few such sites were being operated from overseas. Several kingpins from all over India were identified who had been using their IDs worth crores to manage these betting players and their agents, India Today reported.

A case has been registered under section 419 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and other sections of the Public Gambling Acts and IT Acts.

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This arrest comes amidst the ongoing 14th season of the IPL, which began on April 9. The IPL has been the subject of controversy in the past due to allegations of match-fixing and illegal betting. The IPL governing body has taken measures to combat corruption, including implementing an anti-corruption unit and banning players and officials involved in corrupt activities.