Superintendent of Police S. Jayakumar has warned of invoking the provisions of the Goondas Act against those indulging in clandestine sale of online lottery tickets.
Addressing a press conference at the District Police Office here, Mr. Jayakumar said that the police have launched a crackdown and all police stations in the district have been asked to display ‘zero tolerance’ towards possession and sale of banned lottery tickets. As many as 230 cases have been booked across the district including 143 cases in Villupuram alone in the past one year, he said.
The police have arrested 14 persons including Naseerudin, Logu, Moorthy and Mubarak for sale of banned lottery tickets on Friday. Cases have been booked against the accused under Sections 420, Tamil Nadu Lotteries (Regulation) Act and Section 7 (1) (a) of the Criminal Law Amendment Act.
Mr. Jayakumar said that the police will invoke the provisions of the Goondas Act against those found indulging in clandestine sale of lottery tickets. The Department will not spare anyone and will initiate disciplinary action against policemen if they were found conniving with lottery agents. The Department has already initiated disciplinary action against two Inspectors of Police who were lax in dealing with the menace.
Referring to the death of five members of a family, he said the head of the family M. Arun was pushed into a debt trap after he borrowed money to construct a new house. The victim had incurred a loss in his business and also in buying lottery tickets online. He had taken the extreme step owing to heavy debts, he added.
