JAMMU, Jan 28: Police in Nagrota area here have busted an organised gambling network operating from a hotel, with the arrest of 6 persons, including the Vice-Chairperson of District Development Council (DDC) Ganderbal.Officials said acting on reliable information, a team of Police Post Sidhra, led by PSI Neeraj Parihar, conducted a raid in one of the rooms of Hotel Sunshine at Sidhra, where illegal gambling was allegedly being carried out for monetary gains.
During the raid, they said, 6 persons, including a hotel worker, were allegedly found actively indulging in gambling.
They were identified as Zulfkar Rashid Malik of Gujjar Nagar, Jammu; Manzoor Ahmed of Bijbehara, Anantnag; Bilal Ahmed of Shallabagh, Ganderbal, presently residing at Lower Thather, Bantalab, Jammu; Abdul Majeed Lone of Sogam, Kupwara; and Ashiq Hussain Bhat of Parimpora, Qamarwari, Srinagar, and the hotel worker, Naseer Ahmed, who was allegedly facilitating the activity.
Officials said Bilal Ahmed is the Vice-Chairperson of District Development Council Ganderbal.
A police officer said the stake money amounting to Rs 34,950, along with playing cards, chips and other gambling-related articles, were recovered and seized on the spot.
Quoting preliminary enquiry, he said, the accused, in connivance with the hotel worker, were facilitating organised gambling with the intention of making wrongful gain.
Accordingly, the accused were arrested and booked in case FIR No 21/2026 under sections 112(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita registered at Police Station Nagrota and further investigation set into motion, added the police official.
