Matka gambling den in Calangute busted, INR 1.63 Lakh seized

by Manthra Koliyer Posted on 07 Oct, 2020

As Unlock 5.0 is underway in the country, every state government is taking decisions according to the number of active cases in their respective state. The complete lockdown that lasted for more than five months was a bane for thousands of people with job cuts and other economic pressures leading to the rise of gambling dens. In the last few months, Goa has seen a surge in the number of gambling rackets being exposed on a weekly basis. Once again this week, the Crime Branch officials in Goa have busted a gambling racket. 

A raid was conducted on Tuesday night on a ‘matka gambling’ den in Calangute, and five people were arrested. The gambling den was located near a private Hospital at Naikwaddo, approximately 15kms from Panaji. The raiding team seized INR 1.63 lakh and gambling articles. 

According to the statement by one of the officials of the Crime Branch, the accused have been identified as Ahmad Shaikh, Joseph D’Souza, Santosh Gosawi, Govindrao Range and Yasinsab Bepari. Just a few weeks ago, a gambling den was busted at Calangute beach and 42 persons were arrested. In another high-profile case, the flat of EX BJP MLA Kiran Kandolkar was raided and INR 50,000 was seized. 

While the Central government has given a nod to begin metro rails, theatres and gatherings with minimum 100 people, not every state has implemented all of them. The state government of Goa opened restaurants in the month of September itself, and has now allowed bookings for tourists too. The current situation in Goa is likely to change as tourism has just been picked up in the state. The first week of October has shown more than 50% bookings for hotels, with several shifts expected in the travel sector, according to industry stakeholders. 

To know more about the raid and the details of Unlock 5.0, keep reading GutshotMagazine.com

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