An astonishing ₹5,000 crore in bets is expected to be placed on the Champions Trophy final scheduled for Sunday in Dubai, according to sources familiar with the betting landscape. India is emerging as the favorite among international bookmakers, many of whom are reportedly connected to the underworld. Dubai has become a hotspot for major betting activities, attracting bookies from around the globe during significant cricket matches.
Sources indicate that the notorious ‘D Company’, linked to fugitive Dawood Ibrahim, is deeply involved in the high-stakes betting on cricket matches taking place in Dubai.
In a recent crackdown, Delhi Police’s Crime Branch arrested at least five prominent bookies during the Champions Trophy, following their involvement in betting on the semi-finals. The investigation, fueled by interrogations of these individuals, has extended to Dubai.
Among those arrested were two bookies, Parveen Kochhar and Sanjay Kumar, who were caught in the act of placing live bets using laptops and mobile devices during the India-Australia semi-final match. Authorities seized multiple electronic devices and betting paraphernalia from the scene.
Kochhar allegedly acquired a master ID from a betting site named lucky.com, which he used to create and sell betting IDs to punters, charging a 3% commission on each transaction. For offline betting, the accused relied on phone calls and recorded entries manually based on fluctuating betting rates.
Operating his betting business out of a rented house costing ₹35,000 per month, Kochhar reportedly made profits of ₹40,000 on each match day. In his statements, he claimed that this entire betting network is controlled from Dubai.
Several key figures in this underground betting syndicate have also been identified:
- Chhotu Bansal: Based in West Delhi, he developed a betting app while residing in Canada and is currently living in Dubai. His app has been rented out to other bookies for betting purposes.
- Vinay: A Moti Nagar resident, he is also operating from Dubai and provided real-time feedback from cricket grounds.
- Other individuals linked to the syndicate include Bobby, Golu, Nitin Jain, and Jitu.
Among the arrested, three individuals—Manish Sahani, Yogesh Kukeja, and Suraj—have connections to Dubai. Police recovered ₹22 lakh in cash during the arrests. Manish Sahani, identified as the main operator of the gang, managed all transactions and recorded the voices of participants without involving any middlemen.
During questioning, it was revealed that other associates, including Mannu Matka, Akshay Gehlot, Nishu, Rinku, and Aman Rajput, developed the ‘Satta’ betting app outside India, further highlighting the extensive network operating in the shadows of the cricketing world.
