Garhwal Post Bureau
RISHIKESH, 28 Mar: In a major crackdown against illegal activities, Dehradun police have unearthed an organised casino racket operating from a hotel in the Rishikesh area and arrested 40 persons, including 10 women, during a late-night raid. Taking serious note of the incident, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dehradun, Pramendra Dobal has ordered the immediate suspension of the entire staff of the IDPL police outpost over alleged negligence.
According to the police officials, the raid was conducted at a hotel located on Haridwar Road in Rishikesh late Friday night, where a large number of people were found indulging in gambling. Those arrested include local residents as well as people from other districts and states, indicating the wide reach of the illegal operation. The police team also recovered substantial gambling material and cash from the spot, including 3,356 casino coins, cash amounting to Rs 1,37,600, and nine bottles of liquor of different brands. The scale of the recovery suggests that the gambling activity was being conducted in a well-organised and systematic manner since long.
All the accused were taken into custody and booked by Rishikesh police station under relevant provisions, including Section 123/2026, Sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Gambling Act, and Sections 60 and 68 of the Excise Act. The police have also initiated verification of the criminal antecedents of the arrested persons to ascertain whether they are linked to a larger organised network.
Police said the illegal gambling operation was being run from Hotel Navrang on Haridwar Road. Following the raid, the hotel has been sealed with immediate effect. However, the hotel owner managed to flee during the operation and the police teams are conducting raids at multiple locations to secure his arrest.
Dehradun SSP Pramendra Dobal stated that the absconding accused would be apprehended soon and strict legal action would be taken against him. The role of the hotel management is also under investigation in connection with the case.
At the same time, in a significant administrative action, the SSP has suspended the entire staff posted at the IDPL police outpost (chowki), including the chowki in-charge, holding them accountable for failing to detect and act against such a large-scale illegal activity in their jurisdiction. A total of 12 police personnel have been placed under suspension. The officials said that had routine checking and verification drives been conducted effectively at the local level, such activities could have been prevented at an earlier stage.
The action followed a confidential input received by the SSP indicating that large-scale gambling was being organised at a hotel in Rishikesh, with participation from people coming from outside States. Acting swiftly on the information, a special team was constituted and the raid was executed in a planned manner, leading to the exposure of the racket.
Among those arrested are people from different parts of Uttarakhand as well as from Delhi, Meerut, Noida and Haryana. Both men and women were found actively participating in the gambling activities. The police described the operation as a major success in their ongoing campaign against illegal activities.
The officials have reiterated that intensive checking and verification drives are being conducted across the district to maintain law and order and curb criminal activities. The public has also been urged to share any information regarding illegal activities with the police so that timely action can be taken.
