Nagpur: In a major crackdown on illegal gambling, the Nagpur Crime Branch Unit 05 raided a gambling den in the New Kamptee police jurisdiction and booked 17 accused involved in betting activities.

The raid was conducted between 3:32 pm and 4:45 pm near Ranala Gram Panchayat, close to Koradi Bypass, at an under-construction house on Plot No. 14 registered in the name of absconding accused Praful Ambadas Rao.

Acting on specific intelligence, police caught the accused red-handed while gambling with playing cards and placing cash bets.

The accused have been identified as: Mohammad Ibrahim Mohammad Ali (40), Syed Imran Syed Mumtaz (40), Kranti Deepak Shahu (32), Imran Khan Subhan Khan (30), Syed Irshad Syed Tahir (25), Gautam Kanoji Chavare (50), Sheikh Salim Sheikh Darbari (54), Sushil Sudhir Shende (25), Sohel Hasan Khan (22), Mohammad Shakir Taj Mohammad (37), Mohammad Abid Mohammad Hafiz (44), Sheikh Karim Sheikh Mehmuj (50), Sheikh Sharik Sheikh Mehboob (37), Aqeel Khan Zahid Khan (40), Sheikh Sarik Sheikh Abdul (28), Satish Gulabrao Yadav (38), and Tahsin Akhtar Mustaq Ahmed (32).

All the accused are residents of various localities in Old and New Kamptee, including Kadar Zenda, Nagasen Nagar, Modi Padao, Shastri Chowk, and Prabuddha Nagar.

Police seized cash worth ₹11,280, gambling materials, and 16 mobile phones, with the total value of seized items amounting to ₹3,02,530.

A case has been registered under Sections 4 and 5 of the Maharashtra Prevention of Gambling Act at New Kamptee Police Station. The accused have been handed over to local police custody.

The main accused, Praful Ambadas Rao, is currently absconding, and a search operation is underway.

The operation was carried out under the guidance of senior Nagpur Police officials, with the Crime Branch Unit 05 team playing a key role.