MUMBAI: Hindi film actor and producer Arbaaz Khan on Saturday admitted to placing bets through top bookies on Indian Premier League matches last year following a summons by Thane police investigating an IPL betting ring.
Khan made the confession while recording his statement at Thane police’s anti-extortion cell (AEC) in connection with the alleged IPL betting racket. Police have arrested six persons in connection with the betting racket so far.
Various media outlets, quoting police sources, have reported that the elder brother of Bollywood superstar Salman Khan told the police that he had lost Rs 27.5 million in IPL betting last year and claimed to have not placed any bets in this year’s edition.
He also confessed to knowing Sonu Jalan alias Sonu Malad, who is believed to be one of the top bookies in the country, for six years. Jalan has been arrested several times by the Mumbai Police in the past for involvement in cricket betting.
The AEC busted the racket on May 15 with the arrest of four people, including Jalan, who allegedly ran a betting racket during the recently-concluded IPL 2018 from a shop in the Dombivli suburb of Thane district, which adjoins Mumbai.
During the investigation, a “connection” between Jalan and Arbaaz was established, said senior inspector and head of the AEC Pradeep Sharma on Friday. “We suspect that Arbaaz Khan had placed bets on IPL matches and want to scrutinise his bank transactions,” another police official had told PTI.
Arbaaz allegedly lost millions in betting to Jalan and was not paying the amount, following which the bookie had threatened the actor, the official had said, citing the interrogation of the arrested accused.
