Nagpur: In a major crackdown on illegal gambling, the Crime Branch Unit 1  apprehended four individuals under the Maharashtra Gambling Act. The operation was conducted near Dongargaon Bus Stop on Wardha Road under the jurisdiction of Hingna Police Station on Tuesday, April 1 at 2:10 PM.

The accused have been identified as Sheikh Akhil Sheikh Bashir, a resident of Katol; Asif Sheikh alias Sonu Habib Sheikh (35), a resident of Butibori, Nagpur; Mangesh Gajanan Bhajipale (25), a resident of Rohit Dilak near Wardha Road, Dongargaon; and Sachin Ramesh Ragde (43), a resident of CHP Plot, CRC Rayatwadi Colony, Chandrapur.

During the raid, the police seized gambling equipment and cash amounting to ₹2,36,300. The confiscated items include seven electronic gaming machines worth ₹2,10,000, cash amounting to ₹2,800, a Microtek inverter valued at ₹6,000, an Exide large battery worth ₹15,000, four plastic chairs totaling ₹2,000, a plastic water can worth ₹500, and 14 keys of electronic gaming machines.

According to police, Akhil was operating a public gambling den for financial gain by setting up electronic gaming machines where bets were placed on numbers. Asif was responsible for overseeing operations and maintaining accounts, while Mangesh was employed as a staff member. Sachin was caught red-handed placing bets on numbers ranging from 1 to 8 on the gaming machines in the presence of witnesses.

The activities of all four accused were found to be in violation of Sections 4 and 5 of the Maharashtra Gambling Act. Following the operation, the arrested individuals were handed over to Hingna Police Station for further legal proceedings.