Jammu Police fails to nab Cricket Booking Mafia; Many innocent youngsters have become victims
SALIL RAINA
(POONCH TODAY NEWS)
JAMMU: Within the limits of Jammu district, more than 20 cricket booking centers have been operating and as a result, many innocent youngsters have become their victims.
Even, some local persons of the respective areas also fall in the trap of cricket bookies and they are dragging youngsters into this trade by showing them blue moon of earning handsome money. On one hand, parents give their hard earned wealth to youngsters as pocket money, but on the other hand, these youngsters have become victims of this high profile cricket bookie mafia members who are looting them. These centers are openly operating and reportedly few SHOs and I/C PPs of Jammu district are also supporting them. These police officials are well aware of this nexus which is operating at different locations, but no police official ever took action against this rising mafia which is proving as a threat for youngsters who are in an unplanned way, wasting the hard earned money of their parents. Although, Jammu police claims of taking action against many types of crimes, but the silence of top police brass of Jammu is questionable as no concrete effort was made to nab this cricket booking mafia. When contacted on the issue, IGP Jammu, Mukesh Singh, said, “Speak to SSP”. When contacted, SP Rural, said, “Please contact concerned SDPO as I have forwarded this information to him.” When the concerned SDPO was contacted for his comment on this cricket bookie mafia nexus, he preferred to maintain silence and this shows that few police officials are aware of what has been going on during IPL. Few police officers of Jammu city, RS Pura and Miran sahib were also contacted, but no body responded. It’s a question mark on the working of Jammu police as many subordinate officers of SSP Jammu, either are not aware of this nexus or have maintained deliberate silence, reason best known to them and SSP Jammu. In district Kathua also, this mafia was operating in a planned way. When contacted, Dy.SP HQRS, Kathua, said, “There were similar reports of booking mafia operations in district Kathua earlier, but police took strong action and they left Kathua district in a hurry towards Chandigarh. If you get any report of this booking mafia again in near future, please bring to our notice.”