Nagpur businessman loses Rs 58 crore in online gambling: Police raid suspected bookie's residence

Nagpur, July 23: A businessman from Nagpur faced a staggering loss of Rs 58 crore in online gambling, leading to a police investigation that uncovered a suspected bookie's involvement. During the operation, Rs 14 crore cash and four kg of gold biscuits were recovered from the suspect's residence in Gondia City, located 160 km away from Nagpur.

The accused, identified as Anant alias Sontu Navratan Jain, managed to flee just before the police arrived, and authorities suspect that he has escaped to Dubai.

According to Nagpur Commissioner of Police, Amitesh Kumar, Jain convinced the complainant businessman to try online gambling as a lucrative avenue for earning profits. Initially hesitant, the businessman eventually succumbed to Jain's persuasion and transferred Rs 8 lakh through a hawala merchant.

Jain provided the businessman with a WhatsApp link to open an online gambling account, and the businessman found Rs 8 lakh deposited in the account to start gambling. However, his initial success was short-lived as he incurred massive losses, losing Rs 58 crore while managing to win only around Rs 5 crore.

Growing suspicious and demanding his money back, the businessman was met with refusal from Jain. He filed a complaint with the cyber police, leading to a fraud case being registered under the Indian Penal Code. The police raid at Jain's residence in Gondia resulted in the discovery of significant evidence, including Rs 14 crore in cash and four kg of gold biscuits.

The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are currently counting the large sum of cash to determine the final seizure figure.

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