5 arrested in Pimpri Chinchwad for operating online gambling racket via banned ‘Winadda’ app

The accused were booked under sections 318(4) (cheating), 335 (making false document), 336(2), 336 (3), 338, and 340 (2) (forgery), and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with sections of the Information Technology Act and the Maharashtra Gambling Act, a statement from the police said on Friday.

The police said a search was on for the kingpin who allegedly gathered the arrested men from different parts of the country and made them run the illegal online gambling unit at the rented apartment for the last six months.

Arvind Pawar, Police inspector, Crime Branch, said the accused were operating through the banned “Winadda” App. “Probe so far has revealed that the accused were using bank accounts with fake names and SIM cards procured fraudulently for carrying out the financial transactions for online betting and gambling. We are probing into the bank accounts used for committing the crime. A court has remanded the accused in police custody for five days. Further investigation is on,” he said.

The police suspect the main accused, who is yet to be arrested, allegedly provided the bank account details, along with SIM cards to the arrested accused for taking online bets and gambling through the “WinAdda” app.

The main accused is believed to have contacted the arrested individuals through a “web login” and instructed them to transfer the money obtained from betters and gamblers into the suspicious bank accounts, the police said.