Arrest made near Hawaichowk after patrol team acts on tip-off
City A Division Police in Jamnagar arrested a 44-year-old man on August 17 for allegedly operating an online gambling operation that placed live bets on an international cricket match, officials said. The accused, identified as Ajaybhai Maheshbhai Radhanpura of Block B‑3, Room No. 1103, Sardar Patel Awas in Ranjitnagar, was taken into custody opposite the Bhujio Kotha petrol pump, near Hawaichowk, police reports said.
Action followed a specific tip-off received by a City A Division patrolling team engaged in routine drives against prohibition and gambling offences. Officers maintained surveillance at the reported location and moved in after observing the accused in allegedly suspicious activity on his mobile device.
"An active gambling application was running on his device showing a balance of ₹5 lakh," police said.
Device and cash seized; bets linked to India–Sri Lanka Test match
On inspection, police recovered a Vivo V‑29 smartphone valued at ₹10,000 and ₹2,500 in cash found in the accused's pocket, bringing the total seized value to ₹12,500. A detailed scan of the browser history and the running application revealed betting transactions tied to odds, run‑fairs and match outcomes for the India vs Sri Lanka Test match being played at Galle, Sri Lanka, according to the investigators.
- Smartphone: Vivo V‑29 (₹10,000)
- Cash recovered on person: ₹2,500
- App balance displayed: ₹5,00,000
- Bet placed at time of arrest: ₹1,000
Investigators said the accused admitted tracking live scores on his phone to enter into betting deals on match outcomes and margin of victory. Records indicated that he had wagered a win‑loss bet of ₹1,000 at the time of his arrest, police added.
Legal action and ongoing probe
Radhanpura was booked and arrested under Section 12 of the Gambling Act, police reports said. Further legal proceedings and a probe into his betting history and any wider network remain under way.
City police did not immediately provide additional information about whether the application used was hosted on an Indian or foreign platform, or whether the investigation had identified other local participants or financial links. Online betting on international events typically operates through cross‑border channels, complicating enforcement and financial tracing for local police forces.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Accused | Ajaybhai Maheshbhai Radhanpura, 44, resident of Ranjitnagar |
| Seized phone | Vivo V‑29 (valued at ₹10,000) |
| Cash on person | ₹2,500 |
| App balance | ₹5,00,000 (displayed) |
| Section charged | Section 12, Gambling Act |
The arrest comes amid intensified local patrols targeting both liquor and gambling offences. Jamnagar police have in recent months conducted multiple drives focused on street‑level enforcement, citing concerns about social disturbance and the rise of digital platforms that enable remote betting and transactions.
City A Division officials said the matter will now move through the district legal process while investigators continue to examine the device and browser logs to determine the extent of transactions, counter‑parties involved and any financial trails that may link the accused to larger betting operations.
Law enforcement in Gujarat faces growing challenges in policing online gambling, which often uses VPNs, international payment gateways and web apps that run inside mobile browsers. While physical seizures such as the Vivo handset and cash are immediate evidence, police filings and forensic analysis of the device will be crucial to establishing the scale of activity and any network ties beyond the individual arrested.
Authorities advised citizens to cooperate with patrol teams and report suspicious betting activity through local police channels or the emergency helpline.
