Mafia-bookies nexus unearthed

NEW DELHI, NOV. 25. In what could be termed as a nexus between bookies and the underworld mafia, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has chargesheeted the underworld don, Babloo Srivastava, for using a mobile phone inside the jail premises to intimidate people for extortion.

The sleuths of the Special Investigating Cell stumbled upon the case after the Allahabad High Court ordered a CBI probe on a petition by a lawyer that Srivastava was conducting his operations from the jail with a cellphone.

According to one of the chargesheets filed before the designated court, the investigations disclosed that Srivastava contacted several persons, including cricket `satta' players from inside the Naini jail through mobile phones.

The investigations disclosed that the accused had threatened four persons in Mumbai to pay money and forced them to play `satta' on cricket matches.

Srivastava also asked the four persons - Peer Chand, Dilip Jain, Nimesh K. Chockshi, Nitin Shah - to pass on details of cricket matches over phone.

He also called Mr. Vinod Ji Asrani of Mumbai, who is a property dealer and a bookie, and forced him to play `satta'.

In another chargesheet, the CBI charged Srivastava with threatening Mr. Peer Chand and Mr. Dilip Jain and forced Mr. Jain to collect details of cricket matches.

The CBI has charged Srivastava with various sections of the Indian Penal Code.

- PTI

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Front Page
Previous : Laloo storms into 'alien' territory
Next     : Maoists burn bus, 7 killed