Bookies also made forays into hotel business in foreign countries
Nagpur: In a nasty development, it has come to the fore that a number of notorious bookies are making forays and investing into lucrative jewellery, infra and real estate business. If sources are to be believed, these bookies have spread their tentacles in hotel business in foreign countries as well.
The implementation of GST and demonetisation had hit most of the illegal businesses hard. But still, business of jewellery showrooms in Shankar Nagar, Dharampeth and other posh localities of the city was found flourishing. Similarly, some scandalous bookies went on land purchasing spree not only in city but across the state. Apart from posh buildings, these bookies are constructing luxurious ‘cities’ in the outskirt of Second Capital. Some of the bookies have even invested in hotel business abroad in crores, sources revealed.
Sources further stated that some of the bookies, to show their slate clean, doing business of ‘Bichhayat Kendra,’ feeding poor with ‘Bhojan Daan,’ facilitating pilgrimage to Shirdi free of cost etc etc to overshadow their ‘real business.’ Sources further revealed that city’s “Top 20” bookies also take their henchmen to extravagant trips to Rajasthan and other places once a year. One of the gangs has planned to embark on a 10-day junket during Holi revelry, sources said.
“The concerned authorities as well as the so-called activists are well aware about all these illegal activities of the bookies but still keep a low profile for obvious reasons,” sources claimed.
Furthermore, the bookies and their henchmen got activated when name of a famous sportsperson was linked in this dubious business and tried hard to hush up the matter.
One of the scandalous bookies and owner of a jewellery showroom is ‘mastermind’ of all these illegal activities. Others have their ‘field’ in Jaripatka, Mahal and other areas. The concerned police stations, Special Branch, Crime Branch, and Economic Offences Wing (ECW) are well aware of these dubious activities of the bookies but still no action is initiated for obvious reasons.
For initiating a decisive action, the heads of all these law enforcement agencies will have to scan records of personnel deployed in these departments for years together and shunt them out. The initiative could also expose the names of those who have purchased ‘benami’ properties and pave the way for a crackdown on them.
