Kolkata: Five persons have been arrested for allegedly running a gambling racket from a hotel located on Elliot Road on Tuesday night. Several others, who were also part of the racket and were gambling, have managed to flee.
According to sources, on Tuesday night, a team from Park Street police station conducted a raid at Heera Holiday Inn hotel, after getting a tip. After entering the hotel, police personnel in plain clothes found that several persons were gambling inside a room on the ground floor of the hotel. Immediately, they sent a confirmation signal to the police team waiting outside.
As soon as the conformation was received, the police team raided the place. Seeing police arrive, a few persons who were gambling managed to flee using another door.
Police managed to nab five persons including the prime accused, identified as Rajnish Kumar Malhotra alias Kakku, who is the owner of the hotel and was running the gambling racket.
During a search of the premises police found Rs 1.80 lakh in cash as board money, four sets of playing cards, six mobile phones and some documents related to gambling, which were all seized.
Earlier on September 28, police personnel from the Anti-Rowdy Squad (ARS) and Detective Department of Kolkata Police had held raids in two clubs and arrested 14 persons while gambling.
Among the accused persons, owner of the Arsalan restaurant chain Akhtar Parvez was also there. Police sources informed that during the festive season, gambling racketeers target the posh areas of the city to run their illegal business.
To put a curb on the rackets, police have already increased vigilance in these areas.