Betting racket busted; 2 arrested

HYDERABAD: A cricket betting racket was busted with the arrest of a small-time film producer and his brother at Sainikpuri on Friday. Another film producer, Kishore Rathi, who had produced several Telugu films in the past, and alleged to be the kingpin of the racket is absconding, police said.
Kushaiguda police inspector K Ramachandar Rao said a house was raided at Vijaypuri Colony at Sainikpuri on Thursday night on information that betting on the crucial India-Pakistan tie at Gwalior was taking place there.
Police managed to nab the betting organisers, A Venkat and his brother A Padma Rao, from the house. Venkat earlier worked with Telugu film producer Kishore Rathi as driver and later as production manager. He later became a producer and made a film 'Andaala O Chiluka' which reportedly did not fare well. The inspector said Kishore Rathi was the kingpin of the racket. Kishore Rathi's son Mahesh Rathi allegedly used to collect money from the betting organisers the next day after the match.
"We came to know that betting for nearly Rs four lakh was being made on the India-Pakistan match at Gwalior," Ramachandar Rao said. He said during interrogation, it came to light that the betting was done on the previous cricket matches also running into lakhs of rupees.
Kishore Rathi produced films like 'Mayalodu,' 'Rajendrudu-Gajendrudu' and other films in the past. A resident of Barkatpura, he is said to be into finance business apart from investing in stock exchange and was also into horse race betting, police said.
Kishore Rathi and his son are absconding. Police also recovered the 'code names' of seven punters and are on the job of identifying and tracing them. Police seized Rs 7,305 cash, a computer, television set, six mobile phones and two landline phones through which the racket was being organised. A case under Sec 3 and 5 of AP Gaming Act has been registered against the accused.