Junagadh, Sep 6 (IANS) Forty-two people were arrested after the Gujarat Police’s State Monitoring Cell (SMC) raided an alleged card gambling operation at Suthar Samaj Wadi near Chorwad Girls School in Chorwad of Junagadh district, seizing cash and other property collectively valued at Rs 16.02 lakh, police said on Sunday.

The raid was conducted by a team led by Police Sub-Inspector K.D. Ravia following directions from Director General of Police (DGP) G.S. Malik to take legal action against illegal liquor and gambling activities in the state.

According to the State Monitoring Cell, the operation resulted in the seizure of Rs 3,72,200 in cash, one four-wheeler, 11 two-wheelers, 42 mobile phones and gambling-related materials.

The total value of the seized property was assessed at Rs 16,02,900. A case was registered at Chorwad Police Station on September 5 under Sections 4 and 5 of the Gambling Act.

Police said 44 people were named in the case, including 42 arrested accused and two wanted accused.

Among those arrested were Manish Parmar and Haresh Chudasama, both identified by police as alleged organisers of the gambling activity.

The arrested persons included residents of Chorwad and other parts of Junagadh district, as well as individuals from Gir Somnath, Morbi, Kutch and Rajkot.

The two wanted accused have been identified as Viren Sevra, a resident of Ramvav Chowk in Chorwad and Lala of Chorwad.

Police identified Lala as the person who allegedly rented out Sutharwadi for gambling. Further investigation into the case is being conducted by the police.

The latest raid is part of a continuing enforcement drive by the SMC against illegal gambling and liquor networks.

In August, the SMC arrested 16 people and seized cash, vehicles and mobile phones collectively valued at about Rs 39 lakh in a gambling raid in Mehsana.

In another gambling operation in Gandhinagar in December last year, the SMC seized cash, 10 mobile phones and five vehicles worth a total of Rs 26.16 lakh and detained 11 people, while six others were declared wanted.

The SMC has also carried out major prohibition-related seizures, including an operation in Navsari in which 14,016 bottles of Indian-made foreign liquor valued at Rs 37.62 lakh were seized in January, along with a vehicle and other items, taking the total value of the seizure to Rs 62.69 lakh.

–IANS

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