IN THE RECENT YEARS, THE CITIZENS OF INDIA HAVE COMMENCED MAKING INNUMERABLE CASH BETS UPON VARIOUS PROHIBITED GAMBLING ACTIVITIES. IN 2013 THE CASINOS IN GOA ALONE HAVE CONTRIBUTED RS. 135 CRORES TO THE STATE REVENUE. GAMBLING IS CONTROLLED TO THE HIGHEST DEGREE ALL AROUND THE WORLD. THIS PROBLEM IS SLOWLY SEEPING INTO GOA AS WELL…
Matka Gambling or Satta is a renowned type of lottery which originated during the epochs of Indian Independence when it was known as Ankada Jugar which means Gambling of Figures. A person who has won a great deal of money from the Matka Gambling is known as the Matka King. Matka Gambling is Illegal throughout India.
The Matka Mafia’s from Mumbai and Dubai have controlled this multi-crore business, Goa is in terms of volume a minor addition to the big racket in Gujarat, Mumbai and other places.
Tracking down this huge business from within the depths of the underworld is becoming difficult with time for Goa Police. The multi-crore matka gambling business that started 1962 in Worli, Mumbai, by Kutch immigrant Kalyanji Bhagat and Ratan Khatri, has now spread its reach, controlled from outside the country.
As surprising as it sounds there are more than 60,000 bookies around Goa itself, sitting in every corner of the villages as well as urban areas including main markets. These so-called bookies are controlled by almost 80-90 main agents who collect the bets from their respective jurisdiction.
These are big fish in the matka industry it is safe to say that it has involvement of very influential politicians at various levels. One of the social activists fighting a court battle to stop the illegal gambling activity in Goa stated that matka is now in the hands of an underworld don and has links with terrorist organizations.
As per records, after an extensive drive carried out by Maharashtra Police, the matka base was shifted to Gujarat but sources within the matka circle said that it still continues from Mumbai with use of advanced technology. The Mumbai Police carried out drive against matka when it emerged that the business was funding the underworld.
A PIL that was filed by the social activist in the High Court of Bombay at Goa, claims that the trade is controlled by a Pakistan based server. He, however, added that the main agents are stationed in India and that too in Mumbai.
The link from a matka bookie who sits in the open to accept the bet to the main matka agent and then the wider network which spreads across the country and overseas can be established only if the police, bureaucracy, and politicians work in tandem
Superintendent of Police Karthik Kashyap, who is heading the Crime Branch, told the sources, “The origin of matka is in Maharashtra and Gujarat; our team visited those places but police there refused to admit such a thing exists. Secondly, the results are published in the websites, which we brought to the notice of all courts.”
Kashyap further said that his team had approached the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team, (CERT) within the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the nodal agency which deals with cybersecurity threats, to track the matka trail online but they said it doesn’t come under the purview of Section 69 of IT Act where they can stop these websites.
Due to the High Court’s stringent action, the matka business has currently gone underground only in the main cities while the bets are still accepted in villages openly. Nearly 70 percent of the population bets on matka in Goa, has now gone down due to HC’s strict action.
In 2001, one of the most prominent matka king of Goa, Guru Pujari, was shot dead at Khareband in Margao, allegedly by hired gunmen from a rival matka agent. Shockingly, a prime witness in that killing, Mohammed Pandiyal, was also shot dead in Margao while the case was under trial. As a result, both murder cases ended in acquittals, raising suspicions that there could have been a police- matka don nexus in this case
Last month the HC had asked the Goa government to form a SIT (Special Investigation Team) to probe the origin on matka, but the team is yet to be formed. The Court will continue hearing the matter on September 25.
A lot of intensive and in-depth case studies have been done on this issue, Matka even though illegal has permeated the very fabric of Mumbai and Goa. It helps fund organizations of politicians and terrorist. It proves to be nothing but harmful for the state and country, but still there has just been a rise in the issue.
What do you think can be done? How has gambling affected you? Leave your valuable comment.
SOURCE: HERALD
