BRS leader among 82 Indians held at Thai casino

HYDERABAD: Thailand police arrested at least 83 Indian tourists, including Hyderabad-based gambler Chikoti Praveen, popularly known as PC in the casino circuit, early on Monday for raking in over Rs 100 crore credits from a makeshift casino at Asia Pattaya Hotel in Bang Lamung district of Chonburi.

Telangana politicians, including a BRS member and Medak district cooperative central bank chairman, Chitti Devender Reddy, were also among those detained. Chikoti, whose gambling ventures straddle Goa's Bid Daddy to Nepal casinos to money-spinner jallikattu and cockfights in south India, had converted the Thai hotel's convention hall into a makeshift casino, where gamblers from Hyderabad were flown in on a "gambling & tourism package".

A logbook with gambling credits of over Rs 100 crore were seized from the hotel hall, said Police Major General Kampol Leelaprahphporn, police chief of Chonburi. Chikoti and others reached the hotel on April 27 and were scheduled to return on May 2.