Kangra: Kangra police have booked six people for their alleged involvement in an online betting racket in Himachal Pradesh. During a raid at a house in Birta near Kangra, police recovered 41 mobile phones and seven laptops, SP Kulbhushan Verma said on Saturday.
The case came to light after police received a tip-off on October 22 about suspicious activities on the second floor of a house in Birta. Officers suspected that online gaming platforms were being used to collect money from people through multiple bank accounts.
A police team raided the house and found six people there. During questioning, the police allegedly found that they were using gaming applications to facilitate online betting and receiving payments from users across the country through bank accounts linked to UPI IDs and QR codes.
Six People From Himachal and Bihar Named
The accused have been identified as Lavlesh, 25, and Sagar Chaudhary, 27, both from Kangra district; Aryan, 20, from Nagrota Bagwan; and Manoj Kumar Mehta, 28, Pankaj Pandit, 31, and Vivek Kumar, 27, who are residents of Bihar.
Police suspect that bank accounts collected from different parts of the country were being used to move money linked to the alleged betting operation. Some of these accounts may have served as mule accounts to receive and transfer funds.
Investigators are now questioning the six accused to find out how the operation worked and where the money went. During questioning, they allegedly told police that another person from the Nagrota area had supplied the mobile phones and laptops. Police have called that person in for questioning.
Police Trace Money Trail, Probe Possible Foreign Links
The investigation has also turned towards the financial transactions linked to the suspected betting activity. Police have sought details from the banks concerned and are trying to establish where the collected money was transferred.
Verma said investigators were checking whether any money had reached foreign bank accounts or whether people based abroad had helped run the operation. However, he made it clear that these possibilities were still being investigated.
Police are also trying to establish where the seized electronic devices came from. The accused have reportedly not provided satisfactory details about their purchase, raising questions about whether any of the devices could have been stolen.
A case has been registered at Kangra police station under Sections 317(2), 317(5) and 318 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which cover offences involving stolen property and cheating.
The seized phones and laptops are being examined as investigators look into the gaming applications, bank accounts and payment details linked to the case. Police are also trying to identify anyone else who may have been involved in the alleged racket.
The investigation is ongoing, and the suspected foreign links and money transfers have yet to be established.