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Madikeri: A gang of three was arrested for illegally selling Kerala State lotteries in various locations in Madikeri. The District Crime Intelligence Bureau and the Suntikoppa police had conducted a joint operation and were successful in detaining the three on Sunday, September 30.
The arrested are identified as tender coconut vendor Saleem alias Tanu (44), from Suntikoppa, Moosa (44), a daily wage labourer from Upputhode, Hosakote and Devaraj (53), who is an auto driver from Kallukore, Hosakote VII.
Around 9319 lottery tickets worth Rs. 3.17 lakh has been seized from the accused.
On the complaints from the public with regard to Kerala State Lottery sale in the Kodagu district, SP (Superintendent of Police) Dr. Suman Pennekar had directed police to gather information and track the network.
Accordingly, on September 30, the District Crime Intelligence Bureau, Inspector M Mahesh, along with Suntikoppa police station Inspector and staff, raided Saleem alias Tanu’s residence at Suntikoppa city, where he was selling the lotteries.
Meantime, two others were found in the same house sharing the lottery tickets. When asked their names, it was Moosa and Devaraj who had come there to collect lottery tickets in order to sell them.
The police arrested them immediately according to the directions. Around 9,319 Kerala State Lottery tickets of different face value were seized.
The accused were thoroughly investigated. According to the investigation, the lottery tickets are said to be supplied from Irrity city of Kerala to Suntikoppa through a Suntikoppa resident named Ateek.
The accused agreed that they were about to sell the tickets in Suntikoppa, Kushalnagar, and Somwarpet during the weekly fare.
DCIB Police Inspector M Mahesh, Suntikoppa Police Station PSI S N Jayaram, ASI Hameed, staff Tammaiah, Anil, Venkatesh, Niranjan, Yogesh, Suntikoppa Police Station staff, Dhanukumar, Abdul Rehman, Puneet, and the drivers Shashikumar and Ravi assisted in the process.
The Kodagu SP has applauded the efforts of the team and has announced a cash prize.
SP Pennekar said, “The lottery sale network has spread across the district. If anybody gets any information on such instances, please do report to the nearest beat officers of your village and town or inform the jurisdictional police station PSI”.
“From the Department of Police around 30 suggestion boxes have been installed across the district. Any illegal or suspicious movements can be reported by dropping message here. Confidentiality will be maintained on the names of the informers,” she added.
