Bookies use hospital beds for betting

After private flats and hotel rooms, now bookies seem to have taken a liking for hospitals. Two bookies were caught red-handed in a room at city hospital on Thursday taking bets for ongoing international and county cricket matches.

Officials of the Detection of Crime Branch (DCB), acting on a tip-off, raided Ashadeep Nursing Home in Jivraj Park area of the city and nabbed the duo. The men have allegedly been running the operation on behalf of notorious bookies from across the state for two years.

DCB officials had earlier received information about an active gambling den operating in premises of the nursing home which specialises in gynaecology. Based on this knowledge, cops raided the clinic and caught Paldi residents Satish Shah (46) and Girish Doshi (40) taking bets for ongoing cricket matches in Sydney and elsewhere.

Speaking on the matter, DCB police inspector Paresh Solanki said, "The two men were operating a gambling den out of a room meant for patients. This place even had a partition to ensure that they were hidden from view."

It is, however, not yet known whether Dr Asha Gandhi, owner of the nursing home, was in know of such illegal activities on her premises. "We will ascertain her involvement (in gambling operation) and arrest her if found guilty," said Solanki.

Upon interrogation, the duo confessed to operating from inside the clinic for around two years. They also confessed to the cops about taking bets on behalf of many notorious bookies of the state.