As the World Cup semi-final clash between India and New Zealand is about to start, the betting bazaars in Delhi and nearby areas went rolling on the floor as the police estimates that bids in illegal satta (betting) market could have crossed the mark of Rs 150-crore mark.
Punters, mostly from the trading class, and bookies linked to underworld syndicates are known to have wider network in Delhi’s adjoining towns of Faridabad, Ghaziabad, Noida and Gurugram.
Ahead of this, the Delhi Police have put their electronic surveillance in top gear. “We are taking all measures to monitor the satta operators in the wake of the crucial India-New Zealand semi-final match on Tuesday,” Deputy Commissioner of Police Madhur Verma told IANS, who aslo said that they are keeping a tab on five star hotels and guest houses, particularly in Karol Bagh and Old Delhi area that are hired by big-time punters.
“These operators have strong networks, which are often difficult to crack, but we are on the job.” he said. “On previous occasions, the police arrested top bookies from north Delhi, who had a sophisticated internet software of betting linked with mobile phones.”
According to the Police sources, odds were placed on New Zealand as in Tuesday’s tie India seem the favourites. The bids are not only placed on who wins, but also over-to-over and ball-to-ball.
