10 hours ago
32 Held as illegal casino busted at Roorkee hotel; owner on the run
Roorkee: Thirty-two people, including eight women, were arrested on Thursday for allegedly operating an illegal casino from a hotel in Roorkee. Police also seized Rs 2.7 lakh in cash during the raid, while the hotel owner remains absconding.
Police said the raid was conducted at Rajmahal Hotel on the Roorkee–Dehradun road. On the sixth floor, officers found multiple tables set up for gambling, with playing cards and casino coins in use. The hotel owner, Meharban Ali, allegedly escaped through the back exit. Those arrested were booked under Sections 3 and 4 of the Public Gambling Act and Sections 60 and 68 of the Uttar Pradesh Excise Act. They have been sent to judicial custody.
This was the second such crackdown in recent days. On June 23, Ganganhar police raided Satyam Palace Hotel following a tip-off about immoral trafficking. Six people, including three women and the hotel manager, were arrested under Sections 3, 4, and 5 of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act.
"We will continue to carry out strict and sustained raids against such unlawful practices," said Haridwar SSP Pramendra Singh Dobal.
