Bhopal Youth Lost In Game Of Click, Bet, Repeat

Bhopal: As the IPL fever grips the nation, the dark side of the season is becoming increasingly evident with the alarming rise of online 'satta' (gambling) among youth, professionals, and students in the city. The lure of easy money to satisfy personal desires ensnares many youngsters, who end up losing their families' hard-earned savings and falling into debt traps.

In many recent incidents, it was found that debt-ridden youth, including students, turned to crime to repay the money lost in online satta/betting. The sophistication of satta apps and websites makes it extremely challenging for police to track and crack these illegal operations.

According to senior police officials, these betting networks are operated through exclusive websites or mobile applications. Bookies share betting links directly with clients, often approaching young users via social media platforms or direct messages on random mobile numbers. These operations are carried out so discreetly that even if someone is placing bets via a mobile phone standing beside a policeman, there's no easy way to detect it.

What makes the situation more complex is the resemblance of these satta operations to hawala rackets—leaving no direct money trail for investigators to follow. The masterminds behind these rackets are often based outside the country and use a hierarchical system of 'Master IDs' issued to local bookies, ensuring the core network remains insulated from local police action.

Even when local bookies are nabbed, senior police officials admit that the current laws are not stringent enough. The accused are often released on bail at the police station level itself, allowing them to return to the illegal trade with minimal consequences. Despite knowing about certain bookies operating in the region, the main culprits remain untouchable, operating from safe havens spread across multiple states or international locations. The urgent need for stricter cyber laws and improved investigative tools has become clear, as the menace of online satta continues to expand unchecked, targeting the most vulnerable section of society—the youth.

An engineering student was arrested by Piplani police in October 2024 for allegedly snatching a gold chain from the neck of an elderly woman. The police recovered the robbed chain, along with the accused's mobile phone, mask, and slippers used during the crime. Police investigations revealed that the student was addicted to trading on a mobile phone app and online gambling. Burdened with debt amounting to thousands of rupees, he resorted to snatching the elderly woman's gold chain to repay his dues.

In the latest case reported in Shahpura, a 27-year-old man was arrested for allegedly trying to commit robbery at pistol point at a jewellery shop. He revealed in his statements to police that he arranged an amount of Rs 85,000 to purchase the pistol through online betting/satta apps. These two cases show the evil side of online satta apps. Many youngsters took extreme steps like suicide under depression after falling prey to these apps.

A senior cop said that these online satta apps are like private groups much like multi-level marketing. They do not appear during cyber patrolling done by police on the internet. People are added to these groups over specific WhatsApp Groups or Telegram channels. The bookies conduct their financial transactions through the hawala network, which makes it difficult for police to track the money trail.

He said that the bookies provide ID and passwords to the clients to place bets online. They encourage the clients to place more and more bets by providing them leverage to place bets ten times the money deposited by them. If the client loses the bets, there are recovery teams to recover money from them. Even if the clients win or lose, the bookies receive their commission.

DCP (Crime Branch) Akhil Patel said that mostly online satta is operated in close private groups from device to device, so it becomes difficult to crack them. Police take action on getting any information or complaint.