City

A calculated gamble

Citizen tried to bust matka den at station, but operators disperse minutes after call is made to control room

Tanaji Khot

Posted On Thursday, September 13, 2012 at 08:16:43 AM

The matka den is on in full swing on the footpath outside the railway station

While city cops responded seemingly quick to a call made to the control room to report an illegal gambling (matka) den being operated in broad daylight near Pune Railway Station, their timing seemed suspiciously convenient — they arrived only after those operating the gig had rapidly dispersed, prompting doubts about whether there was a twoway communication at play.

A call is made at 5 pm to the control room, even as the gambling carries on

A citizen journalist, who has been observing the illegal gambling stall opposite the State Transport (ST) bus stand outside Pune railway station – after Pune Mirror exposed the brazen ring on April 9 in the report ‘Dirty tricks are out in the open’ — has made several calls to the control room.

Minutes after the calls is made, operators flee the spot

Surprisingly, each time, as soon as the call was made, matka operators received calls and packed up within minutes — after which a police van would reach the spot and find nothing. The women running the ring are fearless about police action and operate the ring in broad daylight.

At 5.07 pm, cops are seen chatting with a man who was
gambling minutes ago

However, whenever the citizen, who is a regular ST commuter, called the police control room, the women left the spot immediately. In the presence of this reporter, he called the control room yet again at 5 pm, even as every movement of the matka den was captured on video.

Seven minutes after the call, everyone had fled the spot. When police arrived in their van, they were seen speaking to one of persons who had been participating in the gambling minutes earlier.

When asked about the incident and how matka den operators were well-informed about police movements, deputy commissioner of police Ramnath Pokale said, “I am not aware about this, but if such a thing is happening, I will personally look into it.

I am out of the city currently, but I will ask for information from local police officers immediately. If they have failed to take action by the time I return to the city, I will do something about it.”

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