The Mumbai crime branch on Friday arrested an influential bookie, known to be bigger than those already arrested in connection with the recent IPL spot-fixing scandal.
Shobhan Mehta, alias Shobhan Kalachowkey, was arrested in Goa by a team of officers of the property cell and brought to Mumbai by Friday evening. This takes the total number of arrests in the scandal to 17, which includes former Chennai Super Kings team principal Gurunath Meiyappan and Vindoo Dara Singh who are now on bail. Kalachowkey is being described as a “big catch” by crime branch officers as he had already been arrested in 2005, along with bar dancer Tarannum, in connection with another betting scandal.
According to crime branch sources, Kalachowkey was holed up in a boat-cum-casino at Panajim in Goa since June 28. “He used to stay in the casino in the day and then went to a hotel to spend the night. The casino owners had arranged a boat and vehicle to help him reach the hotel,” said a crime branch official.
A team from the Mumbai crime branch property cell had been camping in Goa since Thursday, police sources said. “His cellphone was last traced to Mumbai international airport between May 15 and 16. We got a tip-off that he was in Goa. He was with his family when he was picked up,” said a crime branch officer. Officers added that Kalachowkey is believed to have made several crores in the recent IPL season, but refused to divulge the exact figure.
He was placed under arrest later in the evening and will be produced at the Esplanade court on Saturday, where officers will demand police custody. “After moving to Goa, he had checked into different hotels to spend the night, but other people were living there when we visited them,” the officer added. Kalachowkey was in touch with bookie Chandresh Patel, alias Jupiter, who was arrested along with players S. Sreesanth, Amit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan by the Delhi police special cell. Kalachowkey was also in contact with arrested bookies Ashwin Agarwal, alias Tinku, and brothers Sanjay and Pawan Jaipur.