HYDERABAD: A day after 30 persons, including a former MLA, allegedly gambling at a villa in Narsingi were arrested, a local magistrate on Monday sent them in judicial remand.
The villa is in the possession of a Tollywood hero’s family. Interestingly, police have recovered a card swiping machine during the raid on the villa on Sunday night.
According to the FIR, apart from Rs 6.77 lakh cash, playing cards and casino coin box, investigators found a card swiping machine during the seizure done at the villa during the raid. Three cars, including two high-end vehicles, were also seized. Police were collecting details about the lease agreement between the actor’s father and G Suman Kumar, the prime accused in organising gambling at the villa.
Police were also in the process to recover details about the number of transactions, including online payments, done by the organisers and gamblers. Perhaps, this is the first time a swiping machine was recovered from a gambling organiser in the city. All the accused were booked under the TS Gaming Act. It was only after the payment was made, either online or cash, Suman would allow the participants to play by issuing tokens, depending on the money placed as bet.
Among the 30 accused, included Sriram Bhadraiah from Mahabubabad district, who was an MLA between 1999 and 2004. Police said that Suman Kumar had taken the villa on one day lease from the actor’s father, who in turn took the property on rent from a bureaucrat.
“The accused were indulging in 3-card gambling on four different tables (a table on the second floor bedroom and three on the third floor bedroom) at the building. Suman had organised the betting and invited 29 other members,” the FIR said. Police would seek the custody of Suman in the next few days.
