Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 18 Jun: Under Operation Prahar, Dehradun police today launched a decisive strike against gambling rackets, raiding a high‑profile den in Rajpur and arresting 13 persons including an American national. The raid was conducted at a private house located behind the helipad on the road leading to Kris Jyoti School, where four tables were set up for gambling. Acting on confidential information received by the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Pramendra Dobal, a joint team of Rajpur police and the Special Operations Group led by Circle Officer (CO), Dalanwala, Nitin Lohani carried out the surprise raid.
During the operation, the police seized 167 packs of playing cards, 625 dice, 118 gambling chips, Rs 1,52,870 in cash and 41 US dollars from the possession of the accused. The American national arrested is a resident of Oregon who has been living in Dehradun’s Tibetan Colony. All the accused have been booked under Sections 3, 4 and 5 of the Gambling Act at Rajpur police station.
According to the Doon Police, the crackdown forms part of the wider campaign under Operation Prahar, directed by SSP Dobal to identify offenders engaged in various illegal activities across the district and take strict legal action against them. Police teams have been conducting intensive checks and verification drives in all station areas to enforce the law. The officials said that the Rajpur raid marks a significant blow to the illegal gambling trade in the capital and warned that similar dens will continue to be identified and dismantled. The police have also claimed that the campaign against unlawful activities under Operation Prahar will be pursued with full force in the days ahead.
