Kathmandu
15 gamblers arrested with Rs 1.3 million from a New Road house
Police surmise that gambling has thrived as most people are either jobless or have free time due to the pandemic.Shuvam Dhungana
Police raided a house at the Capital’s New Road on Friday and arrested 15 gamblers along with Rs 1.3 million in cash.
Acting on a tip-off, a team from the Metropolitan Police Range Kathmandu and the Metropolitan Police Circle, Janasewa, had raided the house of Ajaya Shrestha at Ward 22 and arrested the gamblers. Police also seized 32 pieces of cowrie shells and five decks of cards used in gambling from the site.
“A person was injured while trying to flee. He is being treated at the Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital in Maharajgunj,” said Senior Superintendent Ashok Singh, the chief of Kathmandu Metropolitan Police Range.
According to Singh, several others managed to flee so they could arrest only 15.
Those arrested will be charged under Gambling Act 1963, Singh told the Post.
According to the Act, anyone arrested for gambling for the first time faces a fine of up to Rs 200 but repeat offenders can be jailed between one month and up to a year. Singh said they are investigating the gamblers.
It is one of the biggest raids on gambling operations in recent times, according to Singh.
Every year, especially during the Tihar festival, Nepal Police conducts hundreds of raids in gambling dens, which are operated mostly in private houses and seizes millions of rupees. But they had not conducted major raids of late as the police are busy enforcing the Covid-19 prohibitory orders that have been in place since April 29.
According to the Metropolitan Police Office Ranipokhari, since the imposition of the prohibitory orders they have arrested over 30 persons in the Kathmandu Valley on the charge of gambling.
“The law bars Nepali citizens from visiting casinos with the intent of gambling, so these gamblers would gather at hotels and restaurants. But now due to the prohibitory orders, gambling dens are being operated at private houses,” said Senior Superintendent of Police Sushil Singh Rathour, the spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police Office, Ranipokhari.
“Currently, we have been conducting raids after receiving complaints. We receive complaints sometimes from the gamblers’ family members and other times from the neighbours,” said Rathour.
The police surmise that gambling has thrived as most people are either jobless or have free time due to the pandemic.
In April, the Metropolitan Crime Division had arrested 11 individuals of a betting racket,which was operating in Kathmandu.
The racket used to organise illegal betting on several sports tournaments such as the Indian Premier League, the English Premier League, UEFA Champions League and so on.
Police have urged the members of the public to immediately report if they have information on gambling activities.