Three individuals were arrested by the Pimpri-Chinchwad police on Saturday for allegedly placing bets on a recent cricket match between India and South Africa using an illegal online application. One of the suspects, 25-year-old Bhavesh Pradip Lakhwani, who resides in Vijay Apartment, was apprehended near Waghere Park Society around 6:50 PM after police received a tip-off. Assistant Police Inspector Digambar Atigre stated, “A notice has been issued to Lakhwani for further investigation in this case.” Authorities indicated that Lakhwani was using an app named “Taj777” on his phone to facilitate the bets, and they confiscated a mobile device valued at Rs 1 lakh for further examination.
The police are actively searching for two other suspects, identified as Pande and Kiran, who were reportedly involved in the same illegal online cricket betting operation. All three individuals have been charged under sections of the Maharashtra Prevention of Gambling Act and the Indian Telegraph Act.
In a related incident about a week prior, the Pimpri-Chinchwad police had arrested three men for allegedly running an illegal betting racket using a banned application called “Reddy Anna.” These individuals were identified as 20-year-old Rajendra Ladual Gadri from Rajasthan, 25-year-old Tejeshwar Rao from Chhattisgarh, and 30-year-old Chandankumar Rajendra Pande from Uttar Pradesh. The police reported that they had discovered these men in a rented apartment in Mulshi, where they were taking bets on the same India-South Africa cricket match.
Original Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/pune/3-booked-pimpri-chinchwad-illegal-online-betting-india-south-africa-cricket-match-taj777-app-10407721/
Category: Cities,Pune
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Publish Date: 2025-12-07 18:07:00
