Three bookies held for accepting bets during World Cup final

The Social Service Branch of city police on Sunday arrested three bookies for allegedly accepting bets for the World Cup final between Australian and New Zealand. The police have registered six cases and arrested at least 13 bookies since February 14 – Day 1 of the cricketing event.

Acting on a tip-off, an SSB team on Sunday raided a flat in Jewel Hight Building, Sector 10, Kopragaon in Kharghar area of Navi Mumbai, and arrested the trio. They have been identified as Kuber, alias Ketan Shah, Girgaum resident Munna Chowpatty, alias Chirag Hariyani, and Kandivli resident Jay Oza. Shah was wanted by the police in another betting-related case.

The police have seized 14 mobile phones, one laptop, Rs54,620, LCD TV and a set-top box from the flat.

"After crackdown on betting syndicates, few bookies had shifted their base outside Mumbai. We are probing the case further," said an SSB official.