A major online IPL betting racket linked to hawala transactions and international betting networks has been busted by Chhattisgarh Police after a raid in Goa led to the arrest of six accused allegedly operating illegal cricket betting operations. Investigators revealed that the accused were using an application capable of providing live cricket match updates nearly seven seconds before public television broadcasts, helping them manipulate betting rates and gain an advantage during IPL matches.

The operation was carried out by Raigarh Police in connection with an online cricket betting case registered under the Kotwali police station limits. Officials said the accused were operating from a rented villa near Candolim Beach in Goa, where they managed betting IDs, coordinated transactions and handled real-time IPL betting activities connected to several cities across central India.

According to police officials, the arrested accused have been identified as Amit Mittal, Mohit Somani, Prakash Wadhwani, Akash Motwani, Rahul Khandelwal alias Babu and Sulabh Khandelwal alias Chhota Babu. Investigators said all six accused were actively engaged in online cricket betting and were linked to a larger betting syndicate associated with a network allegedly operated by a figure identified as “Mannu Nathani,” who is believed to be connected to a wider illegal betting operation in central India.

Police sources stated that the accused received betting IDs from Dubai-based operators and distributed them to local agents and players across multiple cities. The betting network reportedly functioned in a layered structure where larger handlers supplied IDs to smaller operators and agents in exchange for commissions on transactions and betting activities.

Officials revealed that the accused used a specialised live-update application that delivered match developments approximately seven seconds earlier than regular television or online streaming broadcasts. This time advantage allowed the syndicate to update betting rates instantly during IPL matches and profit from rapid changes in odds before regular users could react. Investigators believe the technology gave operators a significant edge over ordinary bettors and generated large-scale profits during ongoing IPL matches.

The investigation reportedly began after earlier arrests in an online cricket betting case involving accused Karan Chaudhary alias Karan Agrawal, Pushkar Agrawal and Sunil Agrawal. During questioning, police received important leads regarding a wider hawala network and connections to major betting syndicates operating across multiple states. Following these disclosures, cyber cell officials and Kotwali police initiated a technical investigation that eventually traced digital activity from Raigarh, Raipur, Sakti and Kharsia to Goa.

Acting on the inputs, police teams conducted raids at the rented villa in the Candolim Beach area. Officials claimed the accused attempted to destroy mobile phones and important documents after receiving information about the police action. However, police teams managed to seize 10 mobile phones and several digital records during the operation. Authorities are now examining electronic evidence to identify additional operators, financial links and betting transactions associated with the network.

Investigators said preliminary examination of seized devices revealed evidence of hawala transactions used for transferring large sums linked to betting operations. Police sources stated that serial numbers of currency notes and coded financial details were allegedly shared through mobile applications as part of the illegal money transfer mechanism. Earlier during the investigation, authorities had also seized more than Rs 1 crore in cash from persons linked to the betting network.

Police officials further stated that several of the accused already have criminal cases related to online betting registered against them in different districts. Amit Mittal reportedly faces cases connected to cricket betting in Raigarh, Kharsia and Gharghoda, while Mohit Somani is said to have multiple betting-related cases registered in Raipur. Authorities believe the remaining accused were also actively associated with illegal betting operations for a considerable period.

The investigation has also pointed toward similarities with the controversial Mahadev betting app network, where betting IDs allegedly originated from Dubai-based handlers before being routed to operators in Indian metropolitan cities. From there, agents reportedly distributed the IDs to smaller betting operators and players across cities including Nagpur, Raipur and other parts of central India.

Officials said the latest arrests have exposed another layer of organised online betting operations that combine digital platforms, offshore operators and hawala networks. Police are now examining whether additional financial channels, shell operators or interstate syndicates are connected to the racket. Authorities are also investigating the scale of online transactions conducted through the betting network during the ongoing IPL season.

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