‘Dereliction of duty’: After Gujarat monitoring cell raids gambling den, 18 cops suspended

According to police, the main accused, Govind Patel, the owner of Manpasand Gymkhana, had organised the racket, inviting customers to gamble with cards and chips.

As many as 18 police personnel including a police inspector attached with Dariyapur police station in old city Ahmedabad were suspended on Thursday for alleged dereliction of duty, days after the state monitoring cell had raided a gambling den in the area and arrested over 180 persons.

As per norms set by the Gujarat Director General of Police, if the state monitoring cell, which reports directly to him, conducts a raid regarding illicit liquor, drugs or gambling, in any area of Gujarat with substantial seizure, then disciplinary action is taken against the concerned area police station staff.

On July 5 night, a team of state monitoring cell had raided Manpasand Gymkhana and seven other buildings in its vicinity in Dariyapur area for running a gambling racket. A total of 180 persons were caught in the raid and police also seized Rs 10.99 lakh in cash, 15 four-wheelers, 15 two-wheelers and 145 cellphones from the spot.

According to police, the main accused, Govind Patel, the owner of Manpasand Gymkhana, had organised the racket, inviting customers to gamble with cards and chips.

Even In 2017, a similar raid was conducted at the Manpasand gymkhana and 63 persons were arrested for gambling, police said.

Days after the raid, the Ahmedabad city police commissioner Sanjay Srivastava suspended Police Inspector RI Jadeja and 17 other staff members on Thursday by an order.

Speaking to The Indian Express, JK Zala, assistant commissioner of police, F Division, Ahmedabad city said, “The police commissioner has suspended one police inspector in charge, one police sub inspector, 14 police staff associated with the surveillance team and two police staff attached with two police chowkis- all part of Dariyapur police station.”

As per police, further probe of the gambling racket has been handed over to Ahmedabad City police Detection of Crime Branch (DCB).

 

Source: Read Full Article