Hyderabad Police Bust Online Betting Racket; Eight Arrested, 235 IDs Traced, Masterminds Absconding
The police seized 18 mobile phones, three bank passbooks, 13 ATM cards, and online transactions worth ₹29.81 lakh.
Hyderabad: In a major crackdown on illegal online gambling, the Commissioner’s Task Force, South Zone Team, in coordination with SR Nagar Police, busted an online betting racket and apprehended eight persons on Monday. The police seized 18 mobile phones, three bank passbooks, 13 ATM cards, and online transactions worth ₹29.81 lakh.
The accused have been identified as G. Vinay Kumar (23), N. Sai Vardhan Goud (22), D. Rahul (23), D. Jeshwanth Teja (22), Joda Venu Gopal (31), Kola Ram (23), Velpula Akash, and D. Pranay (22). Two key masterminds of the operation — Rajesh and Aslam of Karimnagar — are currently absconding.
According to police, Rajesh and Aslam migrated to Hyderabad and formed a betting syndicate, operating through online apps such as Khelostar, Khelo24, Kehlo Exchange, Khelo Sports, and Win Match. They provided punters with user IDs, passwords, and mobile phones on a commission basis. To facilitate the operations, they collected bank accounts from unsuspecting individuals, ensuring winnings could be routed through those accounts.
Investigations revealed that the gang had created at least 235 betting IDs, with members hailing mostly from Jagitial and Peddapalli districts. The gang was earning easy money illegally by indulging in online betting under different identities.
Acting on a tip-off, the police nabbed the accused near Nagarjuna School, SR Nagar. The seized material and arrested individuals have been handed over to SR Nagar Police, who registered a case under Cr. No. 681/2025, Sections 3 & 4 of the TS Gaming Act.
The operation was led by S. Raghavendra, Inspector of Police, South Zone, along with Sub-Inspectors Mohd Samiuz Zama, M. Mahesh, N. Naveen, and the South Zone Task Force team, in coordination with SR Nagar Police.
