22/06/2026
Crime Branch Busts Illegal Online Cricket Betting Racket in Mapusa; Four Arrested
Mapusa: The Goa Crime Branch has arrested four individuals for allegedly operating an illegal online cricket betting racket during a raid conducted at a villa in Ekta Nagar, Mapusa.
According to Crime Branch officials, on June 21, 2026, reliable information was received regarding illegal online betting being conducted on a live match of the Tri Nation A Series Sri Lanka 2026 between India-A and Sri Lanka-A. Acting on the tip-off, a Crime Branch team gathered intelligence and carried out a raid at the suspected location.
During the operation, officers allegedly caught four persons red-handed while engaging in online betting activities. The team seized electronic equipment including two laptops, eight mobile phones, one router, and other related devices, collectively valued at approximately ₹2 lakh.
The arrested individuals have been identified as:
Umashankar Joshi (42), resident of Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh
Rahul Khot (25), resident of Sirsa, Haryana
Anvesh Soni (30), resident of Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh
Faijan Shaikh (22), resident of Itava, Dewas, Madhya Pradesh
Superintendent of Police Jivba Dalvi stated that the Crime Branch has registered an offence under Sections 3 and 4 of the Goa, Daman and Diu Public Gambling Act, 1976, along with Section 66C of the Information Technology Act, 2000/2008. All four accused have been placed under arrest.
The raid was supervised by SP Jivba Dalvi and carried out by a team led by PI Vikas Deykar, assisted by ASI Shriram Salgaonkar and police personnel Sandesh Valvaikar, Kritesh Kinalkar, Kalpesh Toraskar, Nitin Gawas, Krishna Madkar, and Shashikant Badhi.
The operation was conducted under the overall supervision of Rahul Gupta, Superintendent of Police, Crime Branch.