Anantapur: Police initiated stringent action against matka gambling, which is Mumbai-based and has been going on for decades in most parts of Anantapur district.
Action against matka organisers and sub bookies at grassroot levels and also against policemen who had a nexus with matka organisers, was yielding results.
About 782 matka and gambling cases were registered in the past five weeks and Rs 21.42 lakh cash was seized from all parts of the district, superintendent of police Satya Esubabu said.
Already, five constables including a head constable were suspended and a few sub inspectors were brought to vacancy reserve over a nexus with matka organisers.
Matka is widely spread in Anantapur district and became an alternative centre for Mumbai from lower level organisers. Tadipathri and Guntakal were acting as sub companies for the main centre of Mumbai and transactions were organised online and mobile phones.
This was the first time police took serious action to weed out matka that had an adverse impact on people mostly poor sections.
“We are keen on weeding out matka and gambling totally from the district and organisers at all levels were nabbed from key centres which were acting as sub companies,” the superintendent of police Satya Esubabu said.
Action was taken against those recreation clubs which were allowing gambling activities, he added.
At least 681 cases were registered in connection with gambling and Rs 13.98 lakh was seized since one month. The Anantapur officers’ club was also raided by the police and gambling was stopped.
