ED arrests Guwahati-based bookie in alleged ₹28-crore IPL betting money laundering case

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested Guwahati-based businessman Deepesh Bajoria in connection with a money laundering investigation into an alleged cricket betting syndicate that operated across Assam and other parts of the Northeast during Indian Premier League (IPL) seasons.

Bajoria, a resident of Zoo Road in Guwahati, was arrested on September 19 under Section 19(1) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), according to the ED. He was subsequently produced before a designated Special PMLA Court in Guwahati, which remanded him to ED custody for six days.

The investigation originated from an Enforcement Case Information Report registered by the ED on the basis of an FIR filed by the Crime Branch in Guwahati, along with related cases registered at Tinsukia and Panbazar police stations.

According to the agency, the alleged betting network operated across Assam and the wider northeastern region during IPL matches. The investigation is examining the movement of funds linked to the alleged betting operations.

In a related financial trail, the ED has alleged that an account associated with a partnership firm linked to Bajoria recorded credits of around ₹28.12 crore and debits of approximately ₹28.03 crore.

The case involves allegations under provisions related to criminal conspiracy, cheating and criminal breach of trust, along with provisions of the Assam Game and Betting Act, 1970.

The ED investigation is continuing to establish the alleged network, identify other persons connected to it and trace the proceeds suspected to have been generated through the betting operations.

The allegations are part of an ongoing investigation, and the accused remains entitled to due process under law.